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For over 25 years Proverbs 31 Ministries' mission has been to intersect God's Word in the real, hard places we all struggle with. That's why we started this podcast. Every episode will feature a variety of teachings from president Lysa TerKeurst, staff members or friends of the ministry who can teach you something valuable from their vantage point. We hope that regardless of your age, background or stage of life, it's something you look forward to listening to each month!
Meredith Brock: Well, hi everyone. Thanks for tuning in to the Proverbs 31 Podcast where we share biblical truth for any girl in any season. I'm your host Meredith Brock, and I'm joined by my co-host Kaylee Olson.
Kaley Olson: Well, hey Mere, we just recorded an episode with Dr. Nujerling Vargas, and if you heard, doctor, you heard right. This was the first time we've ever had a neurosurgeon to the show here. You and I are going about our regular Wednesday when we normally record this episode and we are just like doing meetings.
Meredith Brock: Yeah.
Kaley Olson: Doing the Lord's work. I understand. But this lady did a surgery this morning!
Meredith Brock: Not just a surgery
Kaley Olson: At 5:00 AM
Meredith Brock: A brain surgery.
Kaley Olson: She did a brain surgery and then recorded with us later in the afternoon, which is just wild.
Kaley Olson: Um, and you know, we got to hear all about how the Lord has worked in her life. And if you heard the name News Ling Vargas, you might be thinking, you know, that name doesn't sound like a typical guest that
Meredith Brock: Yeah.
Kaley Olson: The Proverbs podcast usually has on, and you're also right. She joined us from the Dominican Republic.
Meredith Brock: Mm-hmm.
Kaley Olson: So we are, you know. International ladies over here, country hopping. But um, if you have a hard time understanding, you might wanna turn that volume up a little bit. She's a little soft spoken, but I wanted to tell you now because you're absolutely gonna wanna hear every word that comes out of your mouth, but out of her mouth because it is really incredible.
Meredith Brock: It's really worth it. So turn that volume up. Lean in ladies. 'cause she has an incredible story of God's faithfulness mm-hmm. Um, in her life that I think is really gonna encourage you. But before we let you have it. I wanted to take a moment to share about our sponsor for today's episode, and that is Compassion International.
Meredith Brock: You've heard us share with almost every episode that Proverbs 31 vision here is to eradicate biblical poverty, and we are actively doing that, and I'm so grateful. Mm-hmm. In fact, we reach millions of women each day with. Free biblical resources. Mm-hmm. And about 80,000 listeners each month on this very podcast, you're listening to, God is really on the move in a powerful way through Proverbs 31.
Just the fact that you're listening to this episode is evidence that he's working not just at Proverbs 31, but in your personal life, meeting you in your day with resources like this podcast and so many other things that Proverbs 31 provides. But. That is a powerful ministry.
Kaley Olson: Mm-hmm.
Meredith Brock: I like to call it, it's the ministry of God's word.
Yeah. And we recognize there's a real issue of biblical poverty in the world, but legitimate physical and spiritual poverty in places are often unaware of mm-hmm. In our lives here in the western world, which is why we proudly support and uplift the mission of Compassion International, an organization who goes into the hard places and reaches the impoverished people providing them with the resources they need in the name of Jesus. Just like our resources meet you maybe on your drive to school.
Kaley Olson: Mm-hmm.
Meredith Brock: Um, where you are in the maybe facing questions and issues that you don't have the answer for God is equipping compassion to meet children, families, and communities in the midst of some of their most desperate moments.
Kaley Olson: Mm-hmm.
Meredith Brock: If you currently sponsor a child, I personally wanna say thank you. Me too. And me too. Yeah. Our family sponsors two kiddos. What a unique and fulfilling opportunity to know that each month our sponsorship is reaching a specific child and to get to pray for him or her by name.
And if you don't currently sponsor a child, then I wanna invite you to take that step today. I think after you hear Nujerling’s story. Um. You'll be pretty excited to be able to be a part of what compassion is doing.
Kaley Olson: Yeah
Meredith Brock: Because when you sponsor a child, you ensure access to quality education, medical checkups, healthy food, clean water, and most importantly, the good news of Jesus Christ, all delivered through a church in their community. Compassion is really changing the lives of children all around the world, and it changes the lives of the sponsors too. You can sponsor a child today by visiting compassion.com/proverbs, and then the number 3 and 1. Now on to Nujerling’s incredible story.
Kaley Olson: Well, Meredith, we are so excited for today's episode because we get to welcome Dr.Nujerling Vargas to the show. Nujerling, you told me it was okay to call you that instead of Dr. Vargas. So thank you for being here. Will you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do?
Dr Vargas: Hello. Thank you for the invitation. I feel very honored to be with you and I hope God help us to give us our best.
Dr Vargas: My name is Nujerling Vargas. I'm from the Dominican Republic actually, and uh, a school-based surgeon and neurosurgeon. And what I do every day is to do brain tumor, uh, recession of brain tumor in people and different ages, especially, um, kids and also adults.
Kaley Olson: Wow, that's crazy.
Meredith Brock: So for those who didn't catch that.
Kaley Olson: She does brain surgery.
Meredith Brock: She does brain surgery. I'm gonna put it in the most basic terms. That's crazy. You're listening to someone who works on brains.
Kaley Olson: I think before we even really get into talking with Dr. Vargas today, it's gonna take me a while. I feel like if you're a brain surgeon, I'm not gonna, it's hard for me to not call you doctor.
Meredith Brock: She deserves, there's a lot of respect there.
Kaley Olson: There's a lot of respect there, but like. Can we just pause right now and acknowledge that you don't have to be a preacher, for the Lord to use you look. Amen. He is using her right now, so I'm so excited to get to talk with you. Thank you for joining us on the show today.
Meredith Brock: Well Nujerling obviously like our listeners are hearing you right now. Yeah. You have an accent. Mm-hmm. We're talking about how you're a brain. Surgeon. Mm-hmm. I, I think they need to hear a little bit more about your backstory. Can you tell us about your childhood and maybe where Compassion International came in to being part of your story 'cause it's pretty remarkable.
Kaley Olson: Mm-hmm.
Dr. Vargas: Well, um, my parents and I used to be from the north of the country, but due to the lack of joke, we have to move to the east where the sugar, where sugar came fields. So, um, by that time they don't have like a real community. They just improve a community. So people came to, culture came and when I was a child, remember perfectly that.
Uh, it was not real house. It were like a improved house. Uh, the floor was not, rear floor was wood. There was no bathroom inside our houses. Um, there was no sanitary system. So we have the bathroom outside the house in the jar, and also there was no clean water. We have to walk maybe, uh, 20 to 25 an hour to get clean water.
And I also remember when you, when we used to go to school, we have to use bags in our feet because we don't have shoes. And also we used to chair the notebook. I have three brothers and my mother used to cut the notebook in three pieces and give it for, for us, for each one piece of the notebook and also the pencils and everything.
I remember when I was, um, younger, it was a lot of, of darkness because that play was really, really dark. And one day, uh, compassion people came around the village. The third were talking about Jesus and about how big and how miracle he was at the beginning. Our parents, and were not very interested because I think when you are younger and when you are very tired, eh, I didn't think you, you are, you are not maybe very interested in here about Jesus.
Um, the next day they came back and they said, okay, we wanna talk about Jesus, but also we're going to provide to your kids school supplies. We're going to provide food for your kids and we are going to take care of them. So it was like my parents were very interested and also the other parents, the village.
And from that day, I can tell my life, uh, start to change. When compassion came to our life, everything changed. It was like to see a new life with colors and change to dream.
Kaley Olson: Wow. Um, I have a follow up question to that. When you said when you're worn out and overlooked, you said your parents were so tired, it was kind of like they didn't wanna hear about a God who provided, maybe because they didn't, they just felt like if he could've, maybe he would've. So can you tell us like, what, what did you know about Jesus at that age? Did you even know who he was? Um, and what was, what was that like by that time?
Dr Vargas: I have never heard about Jesus. Um, maybe I was seven years old or eight years old, but by that time, the only thing we were like trying to survive.
Kaley Olson: Mm.
Dr Vargas: Like even day by day. Yeah. My parents leave my house around 6:00 AM or 5:00 AM morning and. We stay alone in our houses and they just provide one food for whole day. And they say like, use very wisely the food because if you eat it in the morning and then you will not have food for lunch. So, um, I can tell Jesus in that time was not like really, really important, even though of course Jesus is important, but by that time we were trying just to survive. So yeah. We, we didn't hear about Jesus before.
Kaley Olson: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Wow.
Meredith Brock: Wow.
Kaley Olson: That, that's so relatable. Even to today.
Meredith Brock: Mm-hmm.
Kaley Olson: When life feels like it's up to you, why would you?
Meredith Brock: It's hard to, to think about your spiritual needs when you're physical needs are going totally overlooked.
Kaley Olson: Such a good perspective, Meredith,
Meredith Brock: you know,
Kaley Olson: so, um, oh, go ahead, Meredith.
Meredith Brock: Well, I was gonna say, I think it's really hard newsroom for our listeners to even, mm-hmm. Envision the childhood that you lived. Yeah. You know, like it, most of our listeners right now can't imagine having to go outside of their house to use a bathroom.
Kaley Olson: Yeah.
Meredith Brock: And for that bathroom, like I've been to other countries and I can envision what
it's like, but I think most of our listeners don't understand that this is not like a flushing toilet.
Kaley Olson: Yeah.
Meredith Brock: This is not a place where there's usually running water for you to be able to wash your hands afterwards and for that whole experience is very, so, so very different than the reality that we live in. That as you're talking, I mean, we started this episode by acknowledging that you now are a brain surgeon.
Kaley Olson:Yeah.
Meredith Brock: You know, and now how, like, how God intervened in your life. And I, I couldn't help, but as I was sitting here, I was thinking of, um, of your mom. I mean, I try not to get emotional, but like, I have four kids and. I can only imagine if I had my, my kids and it was bringing them to school.
Kaley Olson: Mm-hmm.
Meredith Brock: And I only had enough money to buy one notebook.
Kaley Olson: Yeah.
Meredith Brock:You better believe I'd be cutting that thing apart just like your mama did.
Kaley Olson: Yeah.
Meredith Brock:I'd be finding the pencils because I would look in my children's eyes and know the potential
Kaley Olson: Yeah.
Meredith Brock:That they carried and trying to remove every barrier. For them to be able to realize that that's every mom's, yeah. Heart's desire. Is to clear the path for their children to become what God designed them to be. And I just wish I could look your mom in the eye and say, way to go, mom.
Kaley Olson: Yeah. Yeah.
Meredith Brock: Way to go, mama.
Kaley Olson:: Yeah. Yeah. I agree. And I think, um. That tees us up. Well, for the next question that we have is now that we've heard the situation that you came from Nujerling, and how hard life was, you heard about compassion and then your parents thought maybe our kids can get the help that they need. Yeah. Like I don't have to do it all myself, but take us into, what were some of the significant changes you noticed once you became a part of the Compassion program? What changed in your life? It what changed physically for you? What changed spiritually for you? And then also did you see a ripple effect in your family once y'all got some of those physical needs met through the compassion program?
Dr Vargas: Yeah, I think one of the biggest thing I, I remember was like, I have an oldest brother, so most of the things I used to use it is like he used old clothes and then I use it, the first thing I get, it was a Bible. It was my first Bible and it says my name. It was a small one, small medium Bible. And I said like the first thing that I have for my own that I don't have to share with nobody.
Dr Vargas: And also I start to going to a school with, uh, with shoes, uh, instead of bags. I also learn to see the word differently because our teachers used to say like, if you believe in the Lord, he will give you the desire of your heart. And I was so interested, like, okay, if I believe in this stuff, he going to give me all the things I want in the future.
Dr Vargas: So I start to see the life differently, and I also start to see my mom, she was less worried every day because every day we have our food at Compassion. So the first time I came to Compassion, I remember once they give me for lunch a full, um, a full leg of a chicken and I was like, whoa, this is a real, uh, leg for myself.
Dr Vargas: And I, I can remember that it was one of the happiest day in my life because I have like a real food and I have like a whole piece of chicken for myself. And I also learned so much of stuff in compassion. To see my mom more acquire and less worry about us every day, uh, give us peace to all of us.
Dr Vargas: And then we also start going to the church. So church became something important for us because compassion, uh, we like part of the program. We, uh, we have to go to the, to the church to listen the pastor or to sing in song, to pray. At the beginning it was like weird. But then we started leaving this, uh, moment at the chair with the people from the church.
Dr Vargas: We start having like a new kind of life and then also our community, compassion health community, our community to build a sanitary system with the latrines. I don't know if you hear that. Name before. Um, and also compassion Help our community to get clean water with, uh, clean water, Sanita, clean water, uh, system for all the community.
Dr Vargas: So I think, yeah, compassion, shame our life and our neighborhood life in so many different ways.
Meredith Brock: Gosh, I can't tell you how much this, like hearing this story. Personally blesses me so much Nujerling because my husband and I, um, we've been married for 20 years and when we first got married I remember us having this conversation about like, okay, if we're gonna like do this thing that we are gonna live our whole lives for Jesus. And we are gonna keep our hands open. Um. We're gonna, our fin financially we are too, you know?
Meredith Brock: And so in the first year of our marriage, uh, my husband and I sponsored a compassion child.
Kaley Olson: Mm-hmm.
Meredith Brock: Her name was Christina. She was from Tanzania. Um, and I think it was two years ago. And we, we sponsored her all the way through elementary school into, there was like a college transition program in Tanzania. That we, we. Sponsored her there too. But as she aged outta the program, um, we picked up another one, a sweet little girl, um, named Christina. She is from, oh gosh, I wanna say Rwanda, maybe she's in Africa. Um, we picked her up and then just last year we picked up another, um, little guy. 'cause my oldest son wanted to sponsor a, a boy, Um, and so we just picked up another. Little boy named Yvonne from El Salvador and hearing your story mm-hmm. Of what, um, compassion did practically in your life. Yeah. Like you guys, I just, I want you to hear this. I want our listeners to hear she went from being a little girl who was walking to school.
Meredith Brock: She said bags, she had bags on her feet.
Kaley Olson: Mm-hmm.
Meredith Brock: To a little girl showing up with shoes that she owned her first bible, that it had her name on it and that she got Chick, like the fact that she had chicken, she had her own chicken leg for the first time.
Kaley Olson: Yeah.
Meredith Brock:As a person who sponsors who is a compassion sponsor, that just blesses my heart. Like it makes me so grateful for what? Um. What we have chosen to invest our money in. Yeah. And honestly, as a mom now, it's trying to translate that down to my children to say, you know, I know we could spend this money on another toy for you every month.
Kaley Olson: Yeah.
Meredith Brock: But instead, look at what we get to be a part of.
Kaley Olson: Mm-hmm.
Meredith Brock: We get to be a part of this child's life. Being transformed.
Kaley Olson: Mm-hmm.
Meredith Brock: And so let's talk with, I'm gonna be a little selfish. Okay. Can I be a little selfish for a minute?
Kaley Olson: You can be selfish.
Meredith Brock: Okay. And can I get you to talk about your relationship with your sponsor and what that looked like? Um, did they, like, for us, I try really hard to get my kids to write to our kids sometimes. I'm not great about it, guys. I'm just gonna be honest. Yeah. It can slip through the cracks, but what did that look like for you as a child being sponsored through compassion?
Dr Vargas: I think you know my parents, I know they love me a lot because they work so hard every day for us, but the first time I hear that I love you was from my sponsor. She was 16 years old. She was in the college or going into high school, going to the college. She was a teenager and she told me the first time I received a letter, she told me that. You know, no, I want to your sponsor, I, and I want you to know that I, even, that I don't know you, I want, I want you to know that I love you and I, I will be praying for you, going to be praying for your studies and going to be praying for your life and your family.
Dr Vargas: And even though we know each other, we are family now. And it was so, um. I, I move myself to that time and I can tell it was, I think, something so warm to hear somebody love you and somebody care for you and somebody, uh, want, they want the best for you. Because as I said before, my parents, you know, I know they love me, but maybe they don't have the, the enough time to tell us that because they were so tired every time and so worried about everything.
Dr Vargas: Um, I think she became my best friend because she was young as me, but I was youngest of course, and she write me every time. She sent me a sticker, she sent me bible verses and she was always so attention to, to what I have to say. She always asked me like, tell me about your life. I want to know everything about you.
Dr Vargas: I want to know how is your friends, I want to know how is your house, your family? And I can tell sponsors became to be one of the best, or maybe my big family, even though I have my family. But I used to feel those people, Jennifer, like she was a real family to me. So for you guys, a sponsor, know that all the things you write to your sponsor, child. It is like refresh. It's like cold water for the heart because life, it wasn't easy by that time, but sometime you just reading the letter make you move your mind to another place. Yeah, where everything was by that time, soft and nice, and just to know somebody love you. Give your, give your heart like fresh, fresh air.
Kaley Olson: Yeah.
Meredith Brock: Yeah.
Kaley Olson: Uh, it's definitely convicting to know that if it's not, if, because I have a compassion child too, that I sponsor. And you're right, Meredith, I don't think about it all the time to write him. But I, I am like, what if I. What am I gonna leave today's conversation with? I'm gonna go home and find, I call him Louie because I, he has a very long name, but find his picture and write to him 'cause I don't know the impact of my words, but news from what I have heard about your specific story is that your sponsor relationship. Um, was very unique and it became much more than just, um, an exchange of letters. Can you let us in a little bit as to how your sponsorship, um, your sponsored relationship, um, really transformed your life and what God did through that?
Dr Vargas: Yeah. Well, when I finish, uh, high school. You know, there is a different program called LTP Program, uh, leadership Program. Leadership Program Development. It's for, um, compassion kids that, uh, used to be leaders in their community, leader in their church, and leader in, in their, their life used to say, so my first sponsor couldn't continue with the sponsorship.
Dr Vargas: So, uh, when I get to LDP program, that was like a special program so kids can go University, when you finish the first program of Compassion, um, I get a different sponsor and their name is, uh, Linsey family and Sarah and their kids. They were absolutely awesome. So when I finish, uh, high school. I start to studying to be a professor that maybe you don't know that.
Dr Vargas: So I start to studying at the university because we couldn't afford the college to be a doctor or a medical doctor. So my mom said, well, you need to start to study something, so why don't you maybe, um, became a professor. It is, um, pre university, my country that is easier to get in and is, uh, is free or the payment is very low.
Dr Vargas: I was like, yeah, but I want to be a doctor. And she said, well, it is what it is. And so I start to study before I became a professor. It was a great time. But at the same time, I was applying for a compassion scholarship. So, um, I start to become a professor, but then like six months later I get a call from Compassion Office saying that you get a full scholarship to study medicine at the university you ask for and your sponsor pay for your, um, for your studies.
Dr Vargas: So I was in the classes for, became a professor and I just said like, hi everybody. I'm just leaving to go and to be a medical doctor. Thank you a lot for everything. And I just said, so was very funny because I just remember and. My professor from university was like, what are you talking about, this? I understand. Don't worry. I'm leaving in. Thank you for everything. And the next thing I remember, I was doing my, uh, medical exam to start in the university. My sponsor were absolutely amazing. They encouraged me every day. They give me a stretch. They help me to be a very Christian. She always was very carefully to tell me, Nujerling, I know you want to be a doctor, but the first thing you need to be is a good person and the only way to became a good person is believing in trusting your life in your heart to God.
Kaley Olson: Mm-hmm.
DrVargas: When you give your your path to God, he going to put the things you need to do in the way. And it was like that. And I graduated from med school in five years. As the time was request, I guess the higher, um, grade. And I, I gave the speech for my graduation because I guess the best score, they came over to my, to my graduation and she told me, you know, no, Nujerling, you see you can do more of this if you believe in the Lord and you follow his His path.
Kaley Olson: Wow. Wow.
Meredith Brock: Powerful.
Kaley Olson: Well, and I love that she had the conviction. She knew what she wanted to do. She very clearly knew that that was the path that she wanted to pursue. And look what God did. Yeah. I mean, it's amazing.
Meredith Brock: That's awesome.
Kaley Olson: Okay, Nujerling, how is God still using compassion in your life today? Because you're not a child anymore, now you're a neurosurgeon, but, but, but how do you still, still see God using compassion today in your life?
Dr Vargas: Well, I went to Japan to do a specialty, uh, and I'm the third in my country doing a school-based neuro endoscopy surgery. So when I came back to Dominican Republic, I asked the Lord to use me, not just, you know, to get money and to. To become successful in that way. I want really to be used for people in need because not everybody have access to a neurosurgeon when they have like a, a, a very difficult pathology or brain tumor or a spine tumor.
Dr Vargas: And there are so many people in my country that I don't have access to get, uh, this kind of specialty medicine. And now I'm doing so many surgeries in, uh, so many surgeries in Dominican people, also in compassion kids, in compassion people. I'm doing brain surgery for free. I work with a group of, um, survivors, people from brain cancers, and I'm the leader of that.
Dr Vargas: And I'm also the, um, chief of, uh, military hospital in neurosurgery. And every day when I can help somebody with, uh, a pathology of, uh, nervous system, I know I'm doing that, uh, God’s will. Because, um, I'm helping one of his kids and, and his scriptures.
Meredith brock: Wow. My goodness. I'd like, do you sleep?
Kaley Olson: That's actually a really valid question.
Meredith Brock: Yeah. You're like super woman. Incredible. I mean, I just am blown away by what God has done in your life, Newing. Yeah. And I love that you keep bringing it back to him. And I even think about how we started this episode, just, you're such a parent, humility. I just had a conversation with a friend of mine earlier today and we were talking about when God does something incredible in your life and you happen to somehow be a part of it, we have to keep telling ourselves, don't, don't touch his glory. Don't touch his glory. And I just see it so evident in you and in this conversation, and I am just so blessed to have been able to talk to you today. Yeah. I wanna ask you, this will be our final question. Okay. If you could look in the eyes. Of all the ladies listening right now, what is one word of encouragement that you would share with them as they head into their day?
Dr Vargas: I just want to say give the change to a kid to dream, because compassion absolutely gives a kids a new opportunity. Became a sponsor. You are giving a person, a kids the chance to dream.
Meredith Brock: I love that. A chance to dream. You know, Kaley, this is not our first interaction with, um, a adult who came through the compassion program.
Kaley Olson: Yeah.
Meredith Brock: And every single time. I'm blown away, um, by what God can do in the life of a child if they're just given the chance to dream. And just given the chance to have a little bit of stability, you know, education and food, and access to a Bible and a faith. Community. Um, it's really remarkable, honestly. It's why my family, uh, made the choice to continue to sponsor. Yeah. Um, more compassion children. Mm-hmm. And I just wanna say, if you are listening right now and you feel the tug. And you know, it's time, it's time to go ahead and give up that little bit of money. Every month to make sure a child maybe that I may never meet, but has the chance to dream. I wanna encourage you. Don't, don't. Don't brush away that nudge, um, act on it today. We're gonna give you a chance to do that. You can sponsor a child today by visiting compassion.com/proverbs, and then the number three and one, and you can go in there. There is, you'll be, if you've never been to their website before, you will be astounded at how many children are waiting
Kaley Olson: Yeah.
Meredith Brock: Waiting to be sponsored so that they have a chance to become mm-hmm. The next Nujerling. Yeah. You know? Yeah. It's pretty incredible.
Kaley Olson: Yeah, it's incredible. And I think too. Whenever you go to Compassion's website, I mean you see actual pictures of faces. Yeah. And that is something that I feel like I love so much about compassion because there's, it's such a beautiful picture to get to hear Nujerling’s story because like you said, I think about my child that I'm sponsoring. But I can go back and I don't necessarily know all of the details of his life, but I have like a face. Yeah. And there's, when you choose to sponsor a child and you choose a face, you get to carry that and then go like, I know exactly who I'm impacting.
Meredith Brock: Yeah.
Kaley Olson: And that's rare. That's rare. But what a special opportunity because God can use. Anybody That's right. To bless a child's life. But the fact that you get to know exactly who
Meredith Brock: Who they are
Kaley Olson: is pretty special. And you can look into their eyes and then they get to like talk with you.
Meredith Brock: Yeah.
Kaley Olson: It's just, it's beautiful and you just never know what your obedience today can do tomorrow in the future.
Meredith Brock: I love it.
Kaley Olson: I love it. Well, Nujerling, thank you so much for taking time out of your very. Busy and full and just honestly crazy life to talk to these girls from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Meredith Brock: Yeah.
Kaley Olson: Seriously, I feel like we are, we're so blessed and honestly we're honored that we got the chance to, uh, spend a couple of minutes with you today and we're thankful for God's faithfulness in your life.
Kaley Olson: So really appreciate you taking the time and just sharing your story with us, and I pray that those who listen will be blessed. Alright, friends, this concludes our conversation today. Thank you so much for listening. When you know the truth and live the truth, it changes everything.