Possum Pinata/Pains

On the light side, I was awakened one night this week by our parrot making squawkings from his hanging cage on the patio outside the open bedroom window. Unusual, as he's silent after dark.  Fearing that someone was trying to steal him (although why anyone wants a non-talking parrot, I don't know!), I quickly went out the backdoor, grabbing the broom as I went, and switched on the light.  Not thinking how I was going to thwart the thief's plan with only a broom, nor  how he would respond to a viejita rapida (fast little old lady) in PJ's , I charged out without my glasses. I saw a big possum, harrassing John's little Cheekie.  I lifted my broom over my head, carefully using both hands to take better aim, and let him have it. I succeeded in putting the hanging cage into motion, swirling around, with the now totally catatonic possum frozen onto the side of the cage.  I made several more swings, not sure I hit him even once as the cage continued to elude me in its spiraling. On one of my attempts, I struck my pinkie knuckle against the cage and have a growing bruise as a battle scar.  About then, John had awakened because I have trouble battling in silence, and must shout like a he-man with every strike. He was able to rescue his parrot, and the, by now, braindamaged possum limped off after dropping from the cage into the small ravine below.

On the heavy side, seems it was that same day we received news from Eryn and Benton's mom, Kate, that their birth father, Delaney, had taken his life. Though he has not been in their lives for about 2 1/2 years, and then only for a short time,  it was a sad couple days for them as they visited back and forth online with family and processed death of a family member for the first time. Eryn was encouraged greatly by a friend here, Sarah, who interrupted her own busy school schedule to help Eryn prepare a brief music/foto memory to be shared at the memorial service.  The kids did not go back to the US, but have gotten a lot of support from the missionary community here.


Victoria was born with a cleftlip and palate. We met she and her mom at church and John quickly got them in to see him, and he began trying to locate help for Victoria. We were blessed to have Eryn being the Pusher to make it happen, and within a month, we put Victoria and her mom on the bus to go to San Pedro Sula to meet with a specialty brigade there for her first surgery.

On the way to the hospital

Eryn and Benton being artistic with their pumpkin-like squash.

Here is Victoria just a day after her repair, not yet quite healed.  She will return for the surgery on her palate in April.  Thanks for your support that allows us to help babies like this!  Eryn delights in being involved with such things. 

Aspiring Stars and smart chickens

 Last blog was over some of our noteworthy friends and how we see them excelling.Ttoday would like to introduce some faces that I hope will keep being topics of our blog as they exceed our expectations, which are high, in the coming years!
This smiling face is Yuri, whom I trained as a nurses' aide several years ago, but who was hired immediately to be a pharmacy tech and to help on the computer in Information.  She is a highschool graduate that never lacks a gracious smile, and carries herself professionally.  She has dreams of becoming an LPN.

 Meet Rosalinda.  She is in charge of our Information area where patients are first met and entered into the computer.  She takes their vital signs, and assigns them to a doctor for their consult. She has been a big part of her family support, and is known as a leader spiritually in nearby Lucinda. She is finishing highschool at a weekend school, and has aspirations of paying off school loans this year and heading for nursing school next. She will be getting some math tutoring to prepare her in the meantime.

Argentina was recommended to me several years ago when I began the first nurses' aide class. She had been singled out for a scholarship to her 6 years of "colegio" or Jr Hi-highschool, by the McKinney's. She faithfully hiked down the mountain trail from El Toro each day an hour, leading other little ones behind her.  She graduated high in her class. Our first day of learning to do a bedbath, I send Argentina to warm up a pitcher of water in the micro- and she never came back.  Another classmate went in search of her and found her in tears in front of the newfangled electronic device- there is no electricity where she lives.  She has excelled as a nurse's aide and been chosen for special training in computer entry to assist our nurses on weekends to enter the costs of patients. It has been a joy to see this scared rabbit grow into a confident and competent helper, with the goal of being a nurse. She has been saving diligently.
All this to say, we are excited to be able to help some such as these to realize their goals, and to prepare a source of LPN's for the hospital needs using local stars. If you are interested in donating to their scholarship funds, or want more details about how we will keep them accountability and not just be handing out $, please contact us at pennyalden@gmail.com .  We also have in mind 2 younger students, who will be graduating from 6th grade this month, a MAJOR WOW out here in the campo. We'd like to be able to encourage them to continue in school also.

On a lighter note, Eryn took this picture enroute home one afternoon in the midst of a downpour!  Love it!