AHA Scientific Sessions is a week of over 25, 000 (that is right THOUSAND) cardiologist, cardio-nurses, and cardiac research scientists all coming together to learn from each other, find out new techniques, discover new tools for surgery and treatments,etc etc etc. People tried to tell me but I could not fathom what I saw when I got there. The exhibit hall alone was astounding. State of art technology helped demonstrate state of the art cardio-technology. Outside of the exhibit hall, Drs and research scientists were giving lectures, presenting their case studies and the development of them, meetings were going on between pharmaceutical companies (the ones with the money) and councils (the ones with the brains), there I was in the middle of it all….running back and forth helping several different departments as well as supporting my fabulous boss! It was an incredible week….I have attached my favorite photo from the week, one that I think would be a wonderful theme for a missions conference!
From there I was supposed to head down to Ft.Lauderdale and Miami, but due to circumstances was not able to make that journey. I was however able to spend a short period of time with my family in Daytona. What a blessing that was to me. Relationships are hard to develop anytime, but throw a dozen years of living on separate continents and that difficulty increases. However, I am blessed to have a family that keeps trying and am enjoying the relationships I am getting to build as an adult.
BTW, check out my cousin’s little one….she will be the next great photographer in the family!
Back to Texas, and a whirlwind of a couple of weeks. Coming out of Sessions, my boss had a myriad of meetings that needed to be set up between now and the end of the year. Throw in an already packed schedule, the packed schedules of other people to be involved in these meetings, two holiday weeks and a partridge in a pear tree and you have a flurry of emails back and forth, time negotiating and flights to book….but thankful, through His Grace alone, it is all done!
Last Saturday I had the wonderful joy of getting to spend a few short hours with my friend’s Lance and Amy Auterson. We have known each other since our prisoner days in Springfield, Misery, and they now serve as Missionaries to France. They had been gone from the US for 4 years, and in those years proceeded to produce two absolutely adorable chirren’ (to use Lance’s phrasing). What a blessing to hear about their ministry, their family and to get to hug and kiss those two adorable little ones.
I think you are caught up. I have a few family news items to share, but will post that next time as this has been long.
Blessings!
