Ten weeks ago, I walked into a lab where I knew no one, knew nothing.  I had no prior knowledge of the research I was going to be doing and little knowledge of the techniques I was going to be using.  I spent the first few weeks learning where things were and how to do simple assays, and reading lots of articles.  There was one day I got so tired of reading articles that I begged the post doc and lab manager to give me something to do, anything to do that used my hands, chemicals, anything but reading.  I then spent the next eight weeks running different assays, cell culture studies, fluorescence microscope analyses.  But it wasn’t about what I was doing in terms of research and science that made this rotation worth it.  Yes, that was important.  The techniques are valuable and the science repeatable (mostly.).  But I learned more about why God placed me here than anything.

Ten weeks ago, I didn’t know the people in my lab.  I came in, did my work, left, and came back the next day.  I rarely spoke to anyone except to ask about techniques, procedures, where things were.  I didn’t let anyone into my little world, I didn’t ask to be let into theirs.  But then a simple “Hello” turned into “How was your weekend?”  or “How was your evening?”  A one word answer one week turned into a whole paragraph answer the next.  It took ten weeks, but I know these people now.  Not very well, but enough for one of them to open up and trust me – to tell me about their struggles and the death of a friend.  Another one has opened up about the life she led before she found Christ, and the joys in her life since.

Ten weeks ago, I couldn’t have predicted that it would turn out this way, that these people could trust me and open up and let me into their lives.  Ten weeks ago, I set out to find some answers in science.  Ten weeks later, I found friendship and trust in people around me.  And I care about them.  A great deal.  I will continue to care about them and pray for them even after I leave this lab next week.  I gained much more than knowledge during these ten weeks.  I gained friendships and perspective.  I learned a little bit about why I’m here, why God placed me here, in Michigan, in this program, in this lab, at this time.  And I’m thankful for it.