June 28, 2010- Winding Down

Winding down for a trip to the US for our mission board conference July 5, and the celebration of my folks 60th anniversary the end of that month. 1 week left!  We've hosted old friends from our reservations days, Mike and Cathy Breckinridge, these past 3 weeks. He agreed to come and take over the pharmacy so the Honduran who works there could take his vacation. It meant 5 long days each week. His wife was here at a very needy time, as the 2 men who had been doing all the counseling spiritually had just left, so Cathy agreed to cover that as well as sharing several times for the staff morning devotions. Because she speaks such good spanish, she was in demand also to lead Women's studies and sang frequently. Mike is a Ham operator so we also had testing while he was here to offer the opportunity for new missionaries to get their legal licenses, as its still how we best communciate here.We put them on a bus for the city on Friday.  I'm sure they will need to rest up when they arrive back in the US!

John was finally able to make it up to Las Balles (think thats how its spelled!) twice. It is a community way up the mountain that was a 4 hr. plus walk for the last group that attempted it.  Just about a month ago, a road went thru to connect us, so he immediately began planning a trip to do Women's Health Care in the health department there. In the week between trips, the road eroded a lot- I got brave and went on the second trip. My knuckles were blue as I gripped the "grannie" bar- reminded myself that I'd have no scenery to report if I didn't open my eyes!  We brought an exam table in the pickup as well as a nebulizer to gift the clinic. John had a full day of patients, and I played visitor, playing guitar all day with a crowd of kids. Praying the road lasts long enough for l more trip up to see patients before rainy season.

En route home from dropping friends in La Ceiba and picking up 2 more visitors for the hospital yesterday, we passed a big balloon-festooned celebration at a home in Lis Lis we visit frequently in our comings and goings. Remember Keilin, who birthed little Emanuel 2 1/2 years ago and died shortly afterwards?  Well, her sister Delmy has mothered little Emanuel, and her partner, Luis, even came home from the US where he was working to be an active Dad to him and his other 3 children.  The festive celebration was their wedding!  We were SO thrilled for them.  We were late arriving for another wedding out at the hospital, so couldn't stop, so the present will be late! Exciting to see families changing as they take to heart God's Word.

Little Aron lost his big sister to a rare skin cancer last year. It is genetic and he has the same ailment. I think he is 3, maybe 4, a bitty mite with freckles. He has undergone more surgeries than one can keep track of, and all in the hospital know him.  Unlike most kids whose superheros are just cartoon characters or fantasy, he has a real-life superhero. He admires- and wants to be- Dr.McKinney, his surgeon.  I assume thats also why his other passion is motorcycles, as Dr. Jeff drives one. He says he is "McKinney" and "operates" on his parents. I put him on our motorscooter one day when he was bored waiting for his appointment, and got his foto, then gave him a copy. Also found a large pair of surgical green scrubs like his mentor wears and had someone make a wee pair of scrubs for him.  Outfitted with those and a plastic stethoscope, scrub hat and mask, he is a sight. The next thing on his 'Make a Wish" list is the motorcycle ride. Still working on arranging that!

Wedding shower for our RN employee, Ritza, was a beautiful time together to celebrate her LONG wait for the right guy.  She will marry during our US trip, so had to do it early!

Completed all 16 of the necessary recertifications for our staff in CPR these 3 months, and almost done with a big project of making a procedure manual for our purchasing department. Had a picnic and movie night with our 10 from Sunday School to encourage them, and just plain get them out doing something fun.  Often bringing several home on Sundays for lunch and then guitar next door. Hoping to see more on the level of Joni, who has learned enough to be a steady part of the music at church. Finishing up a series of Sunday school lessons on basic foundations of the faith, preparing to lessen our formal involvement there and begin to pursue other things. Will continue our 1:1 discipling, our extra-church involvement with our 10-12 kids, just feel a need to move out of the formal setting, have 2 less Gringos there, and put our efforts behind some other happenenings in the same community!

John continues to invest heavily in the ongoing training of those who will one day replace him in women's health care so that now when we leave there is a local woman well capable of continuing prenatal care and well women's care. Thats a big step!  With his involvement in the 2 mountain clinics and once a week in a health department in Rio Esteban, he is changing the face of women's health here.

Continue to feel the need for an ambulance here of our own, especially since the  late May crazy trip with a 2 yr old iron overdose.  According to Dave who followed the ambulance at dusk in order to drive Joelle and I home once the child was delivered to the city ER, our driver made his own lane down the center of the paved highway and forced a semi off the road! In a torrential downpour, he refused to use his wipers, and fishtailed many times on the muddy dirt road. Thought is we might just save lives by driving ourselves!  The iron overdose made it, despite the fact that the antidote is unavailable in Central America. ( As a result of this incident, we now stock the antidote ourselves!)

Enjoying having a Tulsa-ite next door, interning with our neighbors, the Rumbaughs. Karin Shacklett has been here a month now, going on 2, and is SO nice to have someone from our home church amongst us.

Too long to go without writing. Each week here is its own book!