Inspiration from a cookie

Well I've been out of town for a while and a little remiss with posts. I really liked what the cookie told me this weekend, which was, "Accept no other definition of your life, accept only your own."  Sometime we just need to listen to our inner voice then the hard part...we need to act on it.  It's the only way we can truly do more, be more and see more.

Ecuador - Follow Up

My excitement is mounting for South America.  Just one glitch...getting work to approve the time off.  I hope to get the okay this week so I really can start planning.  Medical Mission Ecuador seems to be so well liked by all who have experienced it.  I have spoken with a travel editor, a nurse anesthesiologist, and will soon be in contact with a Physical Therapist/Professor who went last year and is planning to go again. Everyone has given me so much encouragement and information.  The Ambato Rotary Club really supports the medical team.

Medical Points of interest: Sounds like there are a lot of surgeries for cleft lip and club feet.  I will be doing some studying on this since it isn't something I've seen a lot of.  They seemed receptive of my physical therapy services and suggested a need for an orthotist.  I am checking locally to see if anyone I know wants to go.

Travel/Adventure Points of interest: Well first off the equator is only 22 miles from Quito where you fly in. How Cool!  They have a tour lined up which views historic Quito and the equator, all for about $25.  There are also so many opportunities for adventures and hot springs near by in Banos.   The city of Quito is encircled by mountains, some volcanic and some snow covered. 

10 BOOKS that inspire...

Everyone should consider supplementing travel with  books related to the area prior to going.  It's like being dropped into a movie set where you can experience what your brain has already processed.  I was gifted a copy of Mountains beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder prior to Haiti.   It was a good medical read and inspirational to know how some people are driven to commit every ounce of their being to helping others. For me and many out there it can be Baby steps... NEVER EVER think a LITTLE good is NO good.

I haven't read all of the 10 books listed but if there was a TOP 10 of MISSION BOOKS these would be major contenders.  They are in no specific order.  Enjoy!

1. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One school at a time.  By Greg Mortenson/David Oliver Relin
2. On That Day, Everybody Ate: One Woman's Story of Hope and Possibility in Haiti By Margaret Trost
3. Africa: Stranger Than Fiction: Memoirs of a Humanitarian Aid Worker By Steven Van Orden
4. A Thousand Sisters: My Journey into the Worst Place on Earth to be a Woman By Lisa Shannon
5. Mother Teresa: A complete Authorized Biography By Kathryn Spink
6. Diana, Princess of Wales: Humanitarian By Sherry Beck Paprocki
7. How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas By David Bornstein
8. Sister Girl by Jackie Huggins
9. Mountains Beyond Mountains By Tracy Kidder
10. No Greater Love By Mother Teresa