Saturday, August 21, 2010

From KY to WA to OK ----to Honduras!

August 21, 2010

Our dear friends, Bobby and George, with the 60th
 anniversary couple, Mom and Dad
Long silence as we left for the USA on July 3 for our Cornerstone International Summit back in Wilmore, KY, and didn’t return to Honduras til just a week ago.( Believe it or not, we have much more consistent internet access in the jungle than in the US!)  In addition to VERY pertinent input at the Summit and wonderful fellowship, we were able to fly on to the NW and have time with our daughter Sarah, Jaie and baby Ellie, now 17 months old and SO much fun, spend time in our home in Moses lake WA, and attend the 60th wedding anniversary reunion for my folks at the home of a niece. We had just 3 days together, with 4 generations represented, and a special visit to the reunion from a couple who probably have had the most influence on the Webster clan in our walks with the Lord. Thanks, Bobby and George, for making that big effort to celebrate with us, even tho you were dealing with grief in your own family. Also, we salute you for the investment you made years ago in all of us, and how you continue to support the Webster kids that are on the mission field today!

Sarah and Ellie
Sarah made a special trip with baby Ellie to Moses Lake to spend 4 days with us and give Ellie a chance to know her Great Grandparents before bringing us with her back to Portland to fly on to Tulsa. An unplanned blessing there was having dinner with a highschool classmate I’d not seen since our wedding 36 years ago! Thanks, Craig and Valerie, for making that happen.

Loving on Kaitlin Maurie
Before Before returning to Honduras, we briefly visited the 3 kids in Tulsa OK. Bill, a longtime friend of ours, treated us and 3 grandkids and our son to a day sailing on Oologah Lake. Will long remember the day for being our first day alone with our granddaughter Kaitlin Maurie, now almost 3- a fun time to get to know her a bit.

We arrived back in Honduras in time to reacquaint ourselves with our friends , the Greene’s, before driving them to the city to fly back to the US. He and Dr. Joel have held down the hospital and clinic for almost 6 weeks alone, except for brief respites with visiting docs. Now we are expectantly awaiting the reentry of Dr. Shaw today, hopefully followed by Dr.Mark next week. Slowly the whole crew is trickling back in.

As last year when we returned in July, we had 2 Code blue’s this first week back. Seems one gets back in the groove quickly…sink or swim. I am busily orienting a new LPN and SO thankful to have another nurse on board! It will be a bit before she can work independently, but will be a big help. As John looks at the schedule, he is trying to plan 2 mountain trips in the next 2 weeks, to be sure he’s gotten into these 2 health departments at least one more time before the rains start in late October, as the roads become impassable. We had one of the nurses from Las Ballas inpatient this week and from her found out the road is still passable to their clinic, contrary to what we’d been told by rumors.

Had opportunity to participate yesterday in a mass civil wedding of 24 couples here in Balfate- all done free to fulfill a campaign promise of the new mayor. Our longtime friend and John’s assistant, Xiomara, was finally married, and we attended as their witnesses. John has committed to giving them the roof for their intended house when it comes to that point- a practical wedding gift!
Juan Carlos and Xiomara finally wed!

In closing, please pray for Karly, a 17 year old short-term missionary that spent 6 weeks here caring for Orlin, a baby in the children’s center who needs 1:1 care. Today, she is flying back to Seattle, escorted by her Dad, to be admitted for diagnosis of some mysterious ailment that has had her down now for a week. She has puzzled our docs…her desire is to get treated and return….we pray for her healing and for her spirits during this big disappointment.



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Baby Ellie rocking in the porch swing with Great Grandpa