Sarah Stad: Faculty of Nursing Undergraduate Studies.

Well, it's official.

I'm a nursing student! After completing my first full week of Nursing at the University of Alberta, I am already displaying classic symptoms of any undergrad nurse. Dark circles under eyes. Re-aquaintance with coffee, namely every single Starbucks, Second Cup or Tim Hortons between ECHA and CCIS, my buildings. Back pain from toting around 20 pounds of nursing textbooks.

That being said.... I. LOVE. IT. I am completely embracing being thrown out of my comfort zone. My logic is.. I'm a YWAMer. ...What is a comfort zone again? YWAM sent me so far removed from anything I could possibly call comfort. So, a new university is a piece of cake in comparison. At the U of A there are maps. On NIKO (Mexican wilderness week) we got sent out with horribly vague directions and stumbled around the Mexican mountains, in the dark. U of A? Piece of cake. Compared to where I have been, the experiences I have lived, nursing school does not strike fear in my heart.

Sure it's hard to stay awake in an 8 am lecture, after awakening at 6 in the morning. However, I think perspectives change everything. Today I caught myself whining about 8 am lectures (if you know me, you know I hate mornings...) however I was struck with a revelation. I have NO RIGHT to complain about 8 am lectures. I have 1) the resources to attend university in the first place. 2) Learning facilities that are brand flippin new. If you've seen the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, it's gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful. 3) An excellent faculty and 4) The opportunity learn skills millions of people will neither be able to learn themselves, or see in practice.

So that's that. Life is a whirlwind, studying nursing and going to Prison Ministry are going to consume my life for the next four years, and God continues to blow my mind.