Making New Memories

Over the last few days, memories from past experiences have been a frequent occurrence. I heard a song that reminded me of a late night McDonald's run including an impromptu dance party in the parking lot. I held my camera for hours this past weekend at a children's rally which made me think of those terribly long days during Wheaton in the Holy Lands where all we'd do was move from one incredibly historic place in Israel to the next attempting to capture the significance but taking selfies instead. I saw She's the Man for the thousandth time, quoting it all the way through of course, and laughed at every joke just like I had the first time I watched it with friends in high school.

In my Behavioral Neuroscience class, we discussed the significance of memory and in particular sensory memory - an individuals capacity to retain the impressions of sensory information after the original sensory stimulus has ceased. It seems really basic, and such a natural part of our lives but honestly, this function of the human brain fascinates me. We are constantly taking in information from our environment through our sensory experiences but the fact that our brain chunks particular information to particular stimuli is amazing. When I was growing up, I always had a difficult time remembering information for tests - learning to read was even a challenge because I couldn't remember the sounds of the letters and therefore couldn't construct the word. When I figured out that if I attach a stimulus to a word - for example, if I could touch my dog, read the word dog, and say it out loud - I could remember the information with much less frustration.

These sensory experiences have conditioned me to react to certain stimuli, stay calm in the presence of others and avoid some all together. Currently, I'm sitting in my apartment enjoying a cup of tea, listening to the rain pour on my roof thinking about how many times I've heard the question, "Doesn't it rain a lot in Seattle?"

This stimulus, rain, has conditioned me to think of my home in good ol' Puyallup, WA. I think of the football games where we have to stand in the rain without an umbrella because who uses umbrellas in Washington? No one. Rain is calming, and refreshing. It brings all of those smells alive that have been suppressed by drought. But you know what? I'm now living in a place where it rains almost every day too. And I was thinking that although right now, rain (and so many other things) reminds me of home, I think some day it will remind me of this place. This place where I'm still the new girl and I'm trying to figure everything out. This place where all of my stuff is but doesn't feel quite right yet. I'm hopeful, and trusting, that slowly but surely this place will become home for me.

But in all honesty, I'm having a blast! I'm learning so much. I'm attempting to master some very basic medical abbreviations (thanks Mom and Dad) to try and interact with the physicians I'm interacting with on a continual basis. I had the opportunity to attend a Children's Rally in Kericho this past weekend where 6500 Kenyan children gathered to hear the promise of the Gospel (pictured left). And tomorrow, I'm shadowing a respiratory therapist. My life is different every day which forces me to believe that the Lord washes me afresh for His purposes each new day.

Thank you all for your continued prayer and thoughts. Believe me when I say that I feel them, deeply!

|| And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 ||