2 weeks ago: The weather has turned almost unbearably hot- I frequently make my rounds with a blue surgical handtowel over my shoulder to wipe off the sweat when it interferes with my performance- like in starting IV’s, when I am dripping over the site. We love the setting of the sun when a lite breeze comes up off the ocean to cool down the house a bit so we can sleep. Rare to need a sheet nowadays.
In the aftermath of Thursday am’s earthquake here in Honduras, we are en route to San Pedro Sula to pick up a couple at the airport flying in from Maine. We stayed in a cheap cabin outside the city and awoke at our normal time of 5:30 to find no water. The owner kindly and apologetically brought us a gallon of water from the wee swimming pool to wash our faces! Knowing there would be no coffee forthcoming here, we forayed into Progresso to a Dunkin Donuts for a breakfast sandwich-and COFFEE! Read The Prensa, the morning Honduran paper, while we breakfasted, and pretended all was well with the world, while we read of growing dangers in the cities here and the aftermath of damage from the quake. We will soon have to cross a bridge that was partially destroyed but we understand we can cross on l lane. We will see! (They say, “Si Dios quiere”, ). Afternote: we crossed without problems. See pic below.
In the aftermath of Thursday am’s earthquake here in Honduras, we are en route to San Pedro Sula to pick up a couple at the airport flying in from Maine. We stayed in a cheap cabin outside the city and awoke at our normal time of 5:30 to find no water. The owner kindly and apologetically brought us a gallon of water from the wee swimming pool to wash our faces! Knowing there would be no coffee forthcoming here, we forayed into Progresso to a Dunkin Donuts for a breakfast sandwich-and COFFEE! Read The Prensa, the morning Honduran paper, while we breakfasted, and pretended all was well with the world, while we read of growing dangers in the cities here and the aftermath of damage from the quake. We will soon have to cross a bridge that was partially destroyed but we understand we can cross on l lane. We will see! (They say, “Si Dios quiere”, ). Afternote: we crossed without problems. See pic below.
Mid May John and I enjoyed 4 days away in the mountains where John was helping with the OB part of a Community Health Promoters conference sponsored by World MAP, a welcome respite and a wonderful way to spend my 57th birthday, reading a fun book instead of studying as usual. We are very pleased with the results of this 3 year class, which just began. We have 4 young ladies from our area attending, the only drawback being the 6 hr. drive and pulling away to do it every 3 months! It’s exciting to see the light of understanding flash in their eyes as they become aware of different truths. As a follow-up on this, Dr. Gabby, the director of MAP in Honduras , and her sidekick Lucy came to our area this past week to introduce a method of community assessment in Lucinda, teaching Dr. Rene, who works with us, the technique. We are always looking to assess needs so as to better meet them here, so perhaps this will give us a handle on that.
We were glad to have a Physical Therapist here for a short week, in which John and I both accompanied him on some home visits, in addition to which I translated for him for clinic patients. He worked with some of the kids in the children's center as well. Below is our visit with Wilson, a 4 year old severely handicapped child with a captivating grin who suffered a bilirubin of 48 after birth without treatment. We brought out a highchair for him that the PT padded to help his mom with his posture. She and her companion take great care of Wilson, and the love they have for him is tangible. 
Our housekeeper, approaching the end of her pregnancy by a married man whose wife is also pregnant, has presented John with some challenges. We have visited with her family, who refuse to let her bring another baby into the poverty of the household. They have agreed for her to return home after giving the baby away! That is not out of the cultural norm here. She does not want to give the baby away, but feels no other options. The father is threatening her over her decision to give up the child, saying he wants to give it to his wife! Oh, Lord, give us wisdom! She is afraid to return to work for her last weeks, having been on bedrest for the past 2, because she says he will get her on the road! Hm. We are seeking options as to how to best bless her and the baby.
…..the above was written several weeks ago, now being June 13. Our houseguests, Mike and Cathey, just left after 2 weeks here, he in the pharmacy and she in nursing and evangelism. During their stay, we were delighted to host 2 men from Faith Comes by Hearing, one from Guatemala City, the other from Ceiba. My brother Jeff with Wycliffe in Nepal put us in touch with this group, as they have used them there to do the audio recording of the language they work in. We spoke of them and the workshop one presented back in May to begin listening groups for the Garifuna Bible. This visit was strictly to encourage John and I, which it surely did. They are both delightful men, one a pastor in a large church in Guat. The other is a youth pastor, 25. Both very musical, so after a typical dinner I gave them both a guitar and with our other guests we sang for over an hour. Then Abdiel had us gather to listen to John 4 on The Proclaimer, the audio tool we have been using, only in Spanish. From that section in scripture, he encouraged us and then prayed over us and our work.
Mom asked for an update on Carla, the little malnourished girl I sent a picture of awhile back. Carla has been at the Children’s Home now since that time, being loved and fed and doctored. It was discovered she probably has beriberi, a vitamin deficiency, so is getting 3xweekly injections of thiamine. Thos she was gaining weight, she was also rapidly gaining girth and walking like a 9 month pregnant lady. An echo showed congestive heart failure, and she also has a very enlarged liver. She is now on heart meds and a diuretic, measuring her girth each visit. She now joins in Sunday school class, says “Adios, Penny” aftr I inject her, and will let me “chinear” her when she’s sad or hurt. Pray for her…she is in need of much physical healing.
While Cathy and Mike were here, another missionary from La Ceiba came out for 2 nights and the 3 guys did 2 sessions of Ham Radio testing to provide legal licences to a few more of the long term missionaries. Tho we now all have cell phones, there are still many places where there is no signal and we all rely on radio to communicate. So was a great blessing to have both Rob and Mike here to form a testing team, all 3 guys being able to give tests.
Our housekeeper Chayto gave birth last Sunday night, quickly and healthily. John and I were with her. I had needed to work in nursing both Saturday and Sunday due to staff sickness, so the added need to be out during the night started my week with less than a full tank! But were thankful Chayto delivered without problems. Her father changed his mind and was actually in the hospital for the delivery, and the second person to hold the baby. It looks like after all our planning to find a haven for her and the baby that it won’t be necessary after all!
Monday I began the first of 10 days of a nurse’s aide class for 5 young women we’d carefully selected as being possible candidates for employment. We know we will need someone very soon, and even as I was beginning the class, another employee is talking of resigning to move. So of the 5 I began training, perhaps 2 will be offered immediate employment and will begin hospital orientation at the end of this coming week. It meant some long hard days, with very little time to prepare, as we had company and then extras each night, so was late before I was able to retreat to our room to study and prepare the next days classes. The Lord honored my intent, and it was a good week. This coming week, we will begin the 5 days of clinical experience in the hospital and clinic. I am thankful to have this group trained so as not to be caught with limited time or options when there is the need to hire someone. I actually enjoyed the week, tho barely made it energy wise!
Our housekeeper, approaching the end of her pregnancy by a married man whose wife is also pregnant, has presented John with some challenges. We have visited with her family, who refuse to let her bring another baby into the poverty of the household. They have agreed for her to return home after giving the baby away! That is not out of the cultural norm here. She does not want to give the baby away, but feels no other options. The father is threatening her over her decision to give up the child, saying he wants to give it to his wife! Oh, Lord, give us wisdom! She is afraid to return to work for her last weeks, having been on bedrest for the past 2, because she says he will get her on the road! Hm. We are seeking options as to how to best bless her and the baby.
…..the above was written several weeks ago, now being June 13. Our houseguests, Mike and Cathey, just left after 2 weeks here, he in the pharmacy and she in nursing and evangelism. During their stay, we were delighted to host 2 men from Faith Comes by Hearing, one from Guatemala City, the other from Ceiba. My brother Jeff with Wycliffe in Nepal put us in touch with this group, as they have used them there to do the audio recording of the language they work in. We spoke of them and the workshop one presented back in May to begin listening groups for the Garifuna Bible. This visit was strictly to encourage John and I, which it surely did. They are both delightful men, one a pastor in a large church in Guat. The other is a youth pastor, 25. Both very musical, so after a typical dinner I gave them both a guitar and with our other guests we sang for over an hour. Then Abdiel had us gather to listen to John 4 on The Proclaimer, the audio tool we have been using, only in Spanish. From that section in scripture, he encouraged us and then prayed over us and our work.
Mom asked for an update on Carla, the little malnourished girl I sent a picture of awhile back. Carla has been at the Children’s Home now since that time, being loved and fed and doctored. It was discovered she probably has beriberi, a vitamin deficiency, so is getting 3xweekly injections of thiamine. Thos she was gaining weight, she was also rapidly gaining girth and walking like a 9 month pregnant lady. An echo showed congestive heart failure, and she also has a very enlarged liver. She is now on heart meds and a diuretic, measuring her girth each visit. She now joins in Sunday school class, says “Adios, Penny” aftr I inject her, and will let me “chinear” her when she’s sad or hurt. Pray for her…she is in need of much physical healing.
While Cathy and Mike were here, another missionary from La Ceiba came out for 2 nights and the 3 guys did 2 sessions of Ham Radio testing to provide legal licences to a few more of the long term missionaries. Tho we now all have cell phones, there are still many places where there is no signal and we all rely on radio to communicate. So was a great blessing to have both Rob and Mike here to form a testing team, all 3 guys being able to give tests.
Our housekeeper Chayto gave birth last Sunday night, quickly and healthily. John and I were with her. I had needed to work in nursing both Saturday and Sunday due to staff sickness, so the added need to be out during the night started my week with less than a full tank! But were thankful Chayto delivered without problems. Her father changed his mind and was actually in the hospital for the delivery, and the second person to hold the baby. It looks like after all our planning to find a haven for her and the baby that it won’t be necessary after all!
Monday I began the first of 10 days of a nurse’s aide class for 5 young women we’d carefully selected as being possible candidates for employment. We know we will need someone very soon, and even as I was beginning the class, another employee is talking of resigning to move. So of the 5 I began training, perhaps 2 will be offered immediate employment and will begin hospital orientation at the end of this coming week. It meant some long hard days, with very little time to prepare, as we had company and then extras each night, so was late before I was able to retreat to our room to study and prepare the next days classes. The Lord honored my intent, and it was a good week. This coming week, we will begin the 5 days of clinical experience in the hospital and clinic. I am thankful to have this group trained so as not to be caught with limited time or options when there is the need to hire someone. I actually enjoyed the week, tho barely made it energy wise!
We're down to 2 weeks today that our granddaughter Eryn arrives! Hoping to have an easier pace with her here after working so hard to deserve it! Many are gone so the hospital should be slower. Our laboratory person and family leave permanently sunday, and others are headed out on visa trips or furloughs. We will be tight...but that also means not so many admissions. Thanks to all who sent their notes of concern about the earthquake- we are covered in prayer, obviously.
Penny - Happy Birthday- I love your life and how you invest yourself fully-- it will all be worth it... John -- you too- you great guy---
ReplyDeletebless you all today with rest and safety and adventure:)He loves you soooo much....