Block 2 and Spring Break!

Don't know how I would survive without these two -- my roommate and tooth-brushing-bathroom-buddy, Angela, and best friend here, Robin :)

Well, the last few weeks have been fun-filled and packed with studying, as per usual. The end of March was our block week, which consisted of only 3 exams: OMM Theory, OMM Practical, and a two-part combined Doctoring and CVRR (cardio, respiratory, renal) exam, primarily focusing on clinical aspects of heart problems (a patient presents with these symptoms, what do they have, what do you do) which I think is a lot more interesting than just being tested on the physiology of the heart (like who really cares what ions cross the heart when?). But I finished and passed and after blocks was Spring Break!!!!!!!!!!!! I drove back down to Southern California with three friends and a bird in my car, got home late that night, then got up the next morning and Mumsy and I drove to Tucson to see Holl and Kevin! It was SUCH a fun weekend and so good to see them and a great start to my Spring Break :)

So good to be reunited with my best friend!
We really love her! (you can read more about their love here!)
We even had a late-night Easter egg hunt!! :)

Seeing Hollyanne and Kevin was an awesome start to my spring break and the awesomeness continued with lots of fam time:friend time:
and just all around amazingness :)

After my awesome week at home, it was time to head back up to school and hit the books again. We have an exam next Friday on all the "bugs and drugs" related to respiratory infections, and let me tell you, there are a lot! So, as usual, my time has been pretty well consumed with studying (the other day in the library the president of the student government here looked at me and said: "wow you really live in the library, don't you?" .....yes, yes I do, thank you for pointing out what a nerd I am).

The other thing that has been taking up a lot of my time as of late is trying to raise money for my trip to Africa coming up in A MONTH!!! I can't believe it; I've wanted to go to Africa for as long as I can remember and now I'm finally getting to do it!!!!! We're going to be both rotating and observing in a hospital in Shirati, Tanzania (as well as living with host families!), in addition to doing community service projects in the surrounding villages. I'm going to be working on the Leporsy Project (just like Jesus! :)). We have lots of neat projects that we're going to be working on, but we can't do them without supplies so a lot of time this month (in addition to studying :)), has been spent working on fundraising projects. This weekend, for example, we are having a people auction to raise money (I'm part of a group of girls auctioning off a spa night :)), next weekend a dance (dancing for Africa -- YES PLEASE), then a Rubios fundraiser (EATING FOR AFRICA?? yessssss) the week after that. So a lot of effort has been towards trying to raise money for the Global Physicians Corps, which was started by a Touro student and we are a part of -- 100% of the proceeds to directly to the project, none to funding our trip, so if you would like it give, please donate here and put Tanzania/Jolie Hoppe in the purpose field. Thanks so much for your consideration! And now, to bed, then to the library all day tomorrow!!

One last thought, last week at church we sang one of my favorite songs that I had forgotten about: "Lord, You Have Come". My favorite part goes like this:

Lord, take my hands and direct them.
Help me spend myself in seeking the lost,
returning love for the love you gave me.

O, Lord, with your eyes set upon me,
gently smiling, you have spoken my name;
all I longed for I have found by the water,
at your side, I will seek other shores.