Service Mission Update

So it's been awhile since I've talked about how my service mission is going. I'm very happy to report that all is going really well! I've stopped feeling so overwhelmed by everything. I finally feel like I've found a good rhythm and that I have a good handle on what I'm supposed to do while I'm there. I get asked a lot: "So what exactly do you do?" Let me answer that for ya.

• I make confirmation calls for the appointments the next day.
• When clients come in they take an assessment called an OQ (Outcome Questionnaire) on a Kindle Fire. This assessment tracks how clients progress through counseling. In order to set up the OQ on the Kindle Fire, we need to input their birthday & unique medical number. Therefore it's my job to print out a Column of Appointments (list of all the clients coming in for the day) for the following day, and write down the clients medical number next to their names (birthdays are already printed out on the Column of Appts.) I usually do this as I'm making confirmation calls. No sense in writing someone's medical number down if they're just going to cancel on me! ;)
• The OQ scores are tracked in the program called... OQ Analyst (clever huh?). It's my job to put clients information into this OQ Analyst program so that when we program them into the Kindle Fire- a test will come up for them to take! 
• We also use programs called Advanced MD and Blue Step. Eventually Blue Step and OQ Analyst will be able to "talk" to each other. In order to do that- I have to take the client's medical number and put it into a special place in Blue Step along with the specific OQ test they're taking.
• I know that none of that may have made sense to anyone else. If not- just know I do some stuff on computers with some numbers. ;) Also- no worries... we keep each clients information confidential. I promise.
• I work on Adoption Study Summary write-ups. (Occasionally I've even been able to sit in on interviews with adoptive couples.) When adoptive couples go through the process, they have to write up answers to several different questions (questions about their childhood, their marriage, their education, etc.). I take the answers that they've written (which have already been entered into the computer thankfully!) and write it up into a more comprehensible (in the sense that it flows together), condensed, legal document. This document is taken to court during the adoptive process. Not sure if it's before or after a child is placed with them.
• I scan in adoption and clinical paperwork into the computer.
• I answer phones (my least favorite part, because you never know what you're going to get when you answer the phone. And I hate when someone calls in and I don't know how to help them. But that still just takes time and practice. I'm slowly getting there with this one.
• Any other odds and end tasks they ask me to do (like make copies, organize the playroom, go to meetings, etc.)

So yeah- somedays I can stay pretty busy and other days are slower. But overall I still really enjoy going and serving. However I've realized I don't enjoy serving because of what I do. I mean scanning papers isn't that stimulating if I'm being honest. I enjoy serving because of who I'm with. I honestly LOVE the people there. Yes, I have some favorites. But I genuinely like every single person there. I even love the security guard who comes into our little office to see how we're doing and who talks to me as I sit at the main front reception desk. They are all wonderful people.

Speaking of the front reception desk. Remember how I was complaining about that? Well I've made some interesting discoveries while doing that. 

• I discovered I really really enjoy being able to look outside. Inside the Family Services office there are no windows except for in the therapists' offices. So it's nice to actually see outside while I'm at the front desk. 
• I discovered it makes for some pretty great people watching sometimes. Kids sure do love revolving doors. Enough said.
• I discovered I like sitting at the front reception desk on Wednesday nights, but not on Saturdays. On Wednesday nights it's only from 5:30-9 pm and is a great way to break up the day and give me a change of scenery. Plus the security guard comes and talks to me the majority of the time. So it goes by super fast. However, on Saturday's it's from 8 am- 5 pm and it's only just me by myself. Gets kind of lonely and boring on Saturdays. Luckily I only have to do the 2nd and 4th Wednesday & Saturday of the month at the front desk! But it honestly isn't nearly as bad as I originally thought it would be.

So in summary- the service mission is going great! I've gotten over being completely overwhelmed and am now just enjoying the experience. I truly am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity to serve. However- I have a suspicion that I'm gaining a lot more out of this experience than anyone else. But isn't that true no matter how/where you serve? 

The gospel is amazing and I'm so blessed & grateful to be a part of it!!