Yesterday was a huge milestone for my wife.

It has been an incredibly long, difficult journey. One that started years before we ever met. One filled with obstacles, detours, pitfalls, much hard work, and a few big disappointments. In fact, the disappointments got so big that at one point the Dream seemed to die. But she always kept going, and yesterday realized the attainment of the goal she dreamed about as a little girl.

If you ask her when she started wanting to be a nurse, she’ll tell you “as far back as I can remember.” Indeed, if anyone has ever been called to be a nurse, it was my wife. She loves people, cares deeply about them, she loves to serve, she loves to nurture. It feeds her soul.

She began pursuing the Dream at PCC. Three and a half years later, the Dream was crushed and she was back home wondering if it was all a big mistake. But God kept it alive, and due to her parent’s encouragement (and later mine! We met a while after she was home from PCC), a year or two later she was ready to tackle it again.

She entered the ADN program at Bethel College, and began the whole process anew. There were many tough days and weeks, for she also worked part time as a Nurse’s Aid at Goshen General Hospital. Oh yes, and she worked the night shift. Some semesters her schedule kept her going for two days with next to no sleep.

And of course we got married somewhere in the middle, I’m not sure if that helped or hindered the school career! But no matter how tough it got, she kept going.

Jewel and her husband.
With Mom and Dad and Todd.
Her good friend Erica.
JoLynn and Isabelle were very special instructors.
Some of her class.
And of course, Mom has believed in, stood behind, and encouraged her for years!

God has been faithful, and has been there through all the highs and lows. I’m very proud of my wife, and I love her very much.

At this point, she’s planning to go back to school this fall for her Bachelor’s completion. What with some classes transferring from PCC, it will only be one night a week for eighteen months or so, and it seems to make good sense to do that now. But the hardest work is over!