Spotlight on Eryn,Honduran Unrest, July 23, 2009

Eryn at Luis and Kara's wedding.
Eryn on front porch, waiting to swim in ocean
Patients arriving for clinic on the island.
Eryn helping in the island clinic

3 1/2 weeks since I last made an entry. Gabi , the little girl we took to the big city because of a tumor in her brain, DID go to be with the Lord. The political unrest that began big time the day I wrote continues, some days scary, but always our lives continue as normal at the hospital, at work in the community, in the bible studies. Eryn, who arrived as I wrote the last entry, lived and played with us for these past weeks while storm clouds brewed politically. She overlapped many shorttermers, all of whom have left the country due to the potential powderkeg. I just returned from a quick trip to San Pedro with Dr. Greene to put his wife Judy and our Eryn on a flight out of the country. Nothing we saw alarmed us other than the riot police setting up shop near the airport! I am just thankful to have found a way home for Eryn and breathed a sigh of relief thru my sad tears at her departure. We had quite the time together!

Eryn made good friends with a new MK here, Sam. They spend many hours playing, swimming, staying overnight with each other. She also bonded to our pastor's girls, and spent l day playing in the campo with them, and would play with all the church girls during the women's bible study on tuesday. While I was at church working with 4 kids that wanted to practice guitar, she played around the church Monday. Jessica shinnied up a palm tree and got her a coconut to try. She loved the water, and then our gardener chopped off the shell and presented her with the "cup" to scoop out the coconut meat. She has had about as much avocado as she could hold, as well as mango and pineapple, as all are producing right now.

Her stay overlapped 2 weddings, one of which we had to miss as there was a curfew instated for this time of crises and we chose to adhere to that. Silvia got married without us attending, but is coming to dinner tonight to show us her pictures and share her big adventure. We were to be the witnesses, so still have to make the 3 hr trip to sign her papers! The following weekend was a huge festive wedding of Kara Faull and Luis, a local guy that we all love. Luis is at bible school in Guatemala City, so Kara will join him there. That event took dozens of us to prepare for, and Eryn was included in helping. It brought in a lot of old timers that had lived and worked here in the past, so like a major reunion. All homes were full of guests as there are no hotels in the area.

Last week, we took a private boat to go out to the clinic on the Cayos Cochinos islands. Eryn went along to "help"- and snorkel. We left early Tuesday AM and returned when the sea got rough on Thursday, leaving a census undone that we'd planned. Next time. We saw about 22 patients, snorkeling in between during the lulls. All come in by small boat or dugout, so often come in groups, then awhile before the next boat arrives. It is a chain of small islands with no roads, so only transport in water. I got up early one day to have 5:30 coffee with Laurie, a friend on the island who kindly opens her guest cabin for us to use on our trips out there, so that was an added perk for the trip. We visited the one village on the East End to see the potential of beginning a bible study or some other outreach.

Saturday, Eryn had the opportunity to go to Ceiba with Lisa Bradley, who has a ministry in the city dump there. She spent the whole day, and really enjoyed it. Seems nothing shocks her. I went out to Margarita with Dr. Don and another newcomer to the hospital to help in the music outreach there. Regularly having 30 youngsters and adults learning, singing, praising. Incredible. Eryn enjoyed that once while here also. She really got a good taste of what we do here.

Johns life has been consumed with clinic, as there are just 2 docs and himself here right now. All the rest have left for the US. So sharing call among the 3 makes for a busy life. He had 3 OB's over the weekend, one whom he shipped by ambulance, one whom he delivered Saturday night, another whom he himself drove to the city after dark to deliver. Seems to be a run on babies right now.
The one delivery was a good friend from the church. Hard to separate the incredible miracle of a newborn from the situation that conceived it. Many tears on her part, much grief on ours as we gradually uncover the day to day wickedness that abounds here.

As I close tonight, ex-president Zelaya has stated that he is approaching the Nicaragua-Honduran border with a "force of press". He has asked his family to meet him on the border. He claims he is entering under a white flag. Because of Venezuela's involvement with Zelaya, the Venezuelan ambassadors to Honduras have been asked to leave the country, and their 72 hr. deadline is about up. Today there were major road blocks near the capital as well as public hospitals that were "paralyzed" by Zelaya supporters. We were blessed by hearing Norma tonight at missionary prayer and fellowship share her rendition of the story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, where in response to the kings pleas to God to intervene in an inevitable battle, he was told "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you". Then in the morning, as they prepared to march out, he appointed men to lead at the head of the army, "singing to the Lord and praising him for the splendor of his holiness". Remember what happened? As they began to sing and praise, the Lord "set ambushes against their enemies and they were defeated. "

Thus we choose to remain here for now, praising God for the splendor of his holiness, delighted to have front-row seats to see Him at work. He shines the brightest in adversity. Pray for Honduras.