This is National Nurses Week, a time set aside to honor nurses who do incredible things in the ordinary course of their daily work. And then there are some nurses who go beyond even that.
In the last year I’ve met two local nurses whose service to others goes far beyond ordinary. Their names are Karin and Karen, and the ministry organizations they’ve founded both offer hope. One is called Hope and a Future and the other is called Hope 2 Others.
I wrote about Karin Krause last December and the dream she chased for more than a decade. Today that dream has become reality, based in an old farmhouse on Madison’s west side. Her vision of a community of people that transcends age barriers is inspiring.
I read about Karen Klemp in the special Nurses Week insert in last Sunday’s newspaper. Her organization is teaching Healthy Births and Babies programs on the mission field, in Guatemala and Tanzania. Her website details more ambitious plans, to build 16 medical centers in Tanzania.
In a phone conversation she explained that this summer she’s climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with a team of climbers to help raise funds to build the first center. You may have seen the Climb for a Cause billboards in several locations around Madison. Local residents are invited to support the cause by pledging to run, walk, or bike.
Both Karin and Karen are inspiring for their focus on hope, their service to others, and their strong Christian faith which provides the foundation for their hopes and dreams, as well as for many of the volunteers who support them.