Scattered Puzzle Pieces

Winding down our 2 1/2 weeks visit back to Honduras.  Every place we visit, we see pieces of the puzzle that was "Aldens in Honduras" for almost 9 years. Eating with Honduran friends, we sat around our old kitchen table that John designed, with the handmade chairs. Sipping coffee with fellow missionaries, we sat around the patio table John designed for me. Admired with nostalgia the bed John designed for us, and were delighted to see how well our small-scale furniture fit in Christine's little casita. Our rug looks perfect in another missionary home. We see and hear Deana riding my motorscooter up and down the hill as she teaches Spanish. The projector donated by someone in our Tulsa Sunday School class is meeting the needs of the church, as well as the hospital with the nurses and in the honduran bilingual school. On and on....when I mentioned it to someone, they responded by saying, "Its the same as your influence here- its scattered around the community, everywhere".  At least it made me see the scattered household items in a different light! 

Great expansion of nurses' station at rear. Good job, Mike!

Xiomara, 1st. homegrown LPN from scholarship
program to sign contract

Have long since lost count of the number of homes we've visited, the babies we've cuddled, the meals we've shared, but  can say, "It is VERY good". We see growth in the church both in numbers and in spiritual growth and taking responsibility. We see a well-organized, efficient, and MUCH nicer nurse's station, thanks to an addition that blocks the fierce sun and gives our nurses a much-needed space to prepare meds and also have a place to heat their own food and that of patients. We see our first scholarshipped LPN signing a contract and stepping up to the plate as a well-prepared and respected addition, and 2 more students that have begun their year of mandatory social service that they owe the government. For the first time, the hospital has adequate staff in nursing, thanks to many who have contributed to the scholarships for the nurses.

Lunching with new believers.

Yuri, in white, now doing her social service
with us. Thank you, Mike and Cathy Breckinridge, for
investing in her!

Emanuel #1- mom died after birth

In a brief conversation with Dr and Rosanne McKenney, founders and directors of the hospital work, they expressed their desire to see us continue the scholarship fund indefinitely. We're thankful they have found it a blessing. Its the key to expansion here, to have local, homegrown nurses. There is now a committee here that manages the applications,  and the monthly distribution of tuition to each student. In our absence these past 8 months, its proved to run smoothly, funds being distributed from the hospital administrator. Right now, there is one probable applicant for a scholarship for 2014, so we are making that need known now. It costs them about $100 monthly for 12-16 months, depending on whether they go to a private or a public program. There are benefits to both. Alejandra has chosen the public one, which would be 12 months, with a need for a small stipend to support her during her year of social service.  Our account is open at Cornerstone International, with a project fund marked for nurses' scholarships.

Emanuel #2- successful repair in US of spina
bifida

Emanuel #3- late in life unexpected joy

www.cornerstoneinternational.org

They make it so easy- just look under longterm missionaries,  click on Aldens, and there is an easy way to donate directly to that fund from there. Things have become SO efficient since we began in 2004!

We are headed out of the country now, but wanted memories to be fresh. The new role of being listeners, encouragers, and counselors was different- but we had a delightfully memorable time. Blessings, John and Penny

Aprovechando el Tiempo- Making the most of the time! Nov. 3 2013

Arrived Honduras for a 2 1/2 week visit last Wednesday. We've had a delightful few days full of visits to mainly Honduran friends and staff, Sensing an urgency to share deeply and without much preamble amongst Hondurans we know and have loved. Some that have at one time seemed to have walked with the Lord and are either backslidden or were never saved. The Lord has given us some rich visits, one on top of the other. Lunch one place, another visit, then supper in another home, all deep and rich. The schedule began filling on arrival. Trying for 1:1 visits with staff and church folk, as most involve deep stuff. 1 staff nurse's husband has been murdererd since we last saw her. One student has lost her gran (who was her mom). A church member has left his many kids and wife for another "christian" woman...brazenly being seen with her in the village. Their kids go to school together. Heavy stuff. Hurting hearts. 
The Lord arranged for a former assistant of John's to be back in the area for her second baby- someone he loved like his own. We got to take she and the baby (and kin!) home to the campo between church and a lunch invite today- great joy for John. And that birth will bring other family back to the rural village so we will see some unexpected people from our past. God is good. Without Him bringing these people home, we'd never have had time to see them all!

John doing what he loves- 

View of the coastal waters from where we are staying

Our LPN student's family

Steep climb to visit with a student/friend

Northwest Fun-The Redwoods Bike Ride

Day 1 from the CA/OR border south

October 6, 2013  Left my last blog hanging, wondering if  John's shoulder would really permit him to complete his long-awaited bicycle adventure with his friend Bill over Labor Day.  Well, it really happened!  John and Bill spent 6 days riding together from the CA border south thru the Redwoods along the Pacific Coast, ending at the Golden Gate Bridge. We took several side trips to sightsee, and to visit with 2 sets of friends. The weather was perfect...couldn't have been a better trip. Then we spent 2 days near Tillamook, OR on the beach, with my sister Shellie, just winding down after a demanding week.  Ask John if he'll show you the hardcopy book I made him of the adventure!

Day 6, riding the Golden Gate Bridge

Enjoying the OR beach at end of bikeride

The allotted time here in our home in WA has flown by.  We've enjoyed beginning to put down roots in our sunday School class, getting to know more folks weekly. John continues to be involved with the neighbor boys, 6 and 8, who see him as a Grandpa. He rides one to school daily, and both are in our home frequently, working on numbers and letters with Checkers thrown in! Thru John's involvement with the boys, the mom asked me to Bible study with her, and I have delighted in that.  John continues to ride bike daily to stay in shape, and I have found a daily walking partner.

This past weekend, we planned a 4 day trip to drive the North Cascade Hwy over to Bellingham, WA to see fellow missionary friends, Leon and Judy Greene. The night we crossed over the mountains, the pass got 2 feet of snow, so we were none too early with our exploring. After spending 3 nights with them, we went south to see another couple from our Honduran Adventure, the Kesslers. We loved their healing cottage, and know we'll go back when we have opportunity. Didn't see sun from the time we left home til we came back over the Cascades into eastern WA. Thankful we live on the sunny side!

The time in the NW is drawing to a close, as we need to be back in Tulsa soon to fly down to Honduras for a visit. 10 days from now, we pack up the winter clothes and holiday decorations and head back to Tulsa, with a visit in Sun City, AZ with my folks. We will have just 4 days there to unpack the cold-weather gear, repack the flipflops and shorts, and fly to Honduras in time for a nursing school graduation. Next blog will capsule that trip- our first as "visitors", not residents!

John studying with Graison on the patio

Opportunities/needs at Loma de Luz

Teachers (college grad requirement) and teachers aids (high school degree required) wanted! No Spanish required. Check out the new video for the bilingual school that is part of the ministry here at Hospital Loma de Luz. The school year runs February though November. (copied from Abby and Rimas' blog)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg_582fJFos

Breaking the silence

Just noted that last blog was early May! I have composed many in my head...but there they remain in the black hole. The last thing I'd mentioned was that John was going to have shoulder surgery. Well, that is now almost 3 months behind him . He had a partial shoulder replacement, with a new ball being put in and another rotator cuff repair of the same shoulder. He says that he'd never do it again...but living with constant pain, it was the only alternative. After many weeks of physical therapy, we were released to travel from Tulsa back to Moses Lake, WA on Aug. 2!

So, besides daily trips to the gym to use the stationary bicycle, and 3 times a week with the therapist, what occupied our 3 months? Well, John's surgery was May 20, during all the tornado warnings and touchdowns in Oklahoma. Less than 2 weeks later, we closed on the condo on the Riverside bicycle trail and spend weeks making it a home. Both the realtor and the painter (her husband!) were close friends, and to their credit, we ended the 3 weeks of painting and repairs even better friends! There is nothing they don't know about us now, having spent that much time at close quarters, often from about sunup til sundown, with poor John in pain all the time! They even were gracious enough to let us move a lot of impetuously- bought furniture into their own living room while we awaited the readiness of the condo.

Having left everything we own in Moses Lake, WA, we had to start from scratch, much like our beginnings 9 years ago in Honduras! But its beginning to look like us, we've proved it works for overnighters and meals, and we're getting to know our little community there. I think its a good fit! In between all the hard work, we spent weekends with our kids, Kate, Jake, and Dan, and 5 of our 7 grandkids. Jake came by the condo several times to offer his muscles to get some of the hard things done.

I began working once weekly at Christ for Humanity, a multifaceted ministry from whom we received medical supplies during our years in Honduras. Other women from our church volunteer there, so its good fellowship as well as delightful to be working at the place thats blessed Loma de Luz so much. We are enjoying reconnecting to church friends from the past!

We left Aug. 2 to travel north for what remains of the warm weather in Moses Lake, WA. We are still planning to spend summers here, and winters in Tulsa, hoping to capitalize on the best of both places. Our 4 day drive NW was enjoyable, reminiscing about the past, planning the future, detouring thru Glacier National Park, where we spent our 10th wedding anniversary. On spur of the moment,we called a former short-term missionary friend that lives in Montana, and she was able to be flexible enough to meet us in Great Falls, and we had 4 hours of sharing together as we journeyed north to Glacier. Thank you, Kristal, for making time in your young life for us oldsters! You inspired us with your dependence in the Lord, your faithfulness in adversity, your transparency.

Glacier was very nostalgic, full of "remember when's", trying to recreate events and timelines of our past. Just the privilege of having energy and means to see the grandeur of the Lord there was humbling.

First ever "self-foto" in Glacier!

We arrived in Moses Lake with our home there beautifully groomed by our neighbors, the Kirks, for our homecoming. We only had 3 days to unpack and re-acquaint ourselves with things before leaving with the Kirks on an adventure that had been planned since winter: test-driving their new RV with a trip to Mt. Ranier. We'd never RV'ed before, as we are tent-campers and backpackers, and I'd not been to Ranier since I was about 10. Our Creator certainly outdid Himself on that one! Enjoyed evening campfires, MANY marshmallows, roasted to perfection, Ranger programs, hiking, lots of fotos. 

We're now fine-tuning John's next adventure that he began planning while bedridden from a motorscooter accident in Honduras back in February. We are meeting his Tulsa friend, Bill, in northern CA around Labor Day for John to test out his new shoulder with a week bicycle ride thru the Redwoods and down to San Francisco. It will be a leisurely trip, sightseeing and visiting, with me carrying all the gear in the car so the guys can just enjoy. What will John plan next? Stay tuned for his next adventure!

with our friends at Ranier

Note their license plate- Awesome God- and the view in front!

Hard to imagine, but John was actually sitting down!

Incredible view in Reflection Lake

Note flooring- labor of love!

Guess I was overly optimistic when I stated in our last blog from Honduras that we'd send one from WA state! From the moment we walked into our Moses Lake home that we'd left with flooring undone and not totally furnished, we basked in the finished product, loving gift from the neighbors, who worked the whole 5 weeks we were back in Honduras to have the flooring in for us and a homey atmosphere to greet us!  All we had to do was buy a bed and put the finishing touches on the house- the rest of the 3 weeks was just pure enjoyment! Thanks, Mike and Claudia!
We've now been in Oklahoma for 2 weeks, after a 17 day roadtrip from WA to OK . We are currently biding our time til the closing date the end of May on a small 2 bdrm. condo- right on the Riverparks Bicycle Trail, as we'd prayed.

Hopeful that we'll close on this end of May!

2 nite stop at my niece Robyn's home to laugh with her 7 kids

We are cozily keeping house in a corporate apartment with all the luxuries of life- including internet, exercise room, grocery store across the street, and 1 mile from the bike trail. For this brief interlude, we're grateful!

Jacksonville Pres in Oregon from John's cousins porch

John and I in front of his childhood church

We managed to squeeze a about a 4 day road trip into 17 days- visiting about 17 families along the way from Moses Lake to Tulsa. We saw family, friends, other missionaries, former visitors to honduras, some hitherto unknown relatives of John, supporters...just a step back into the past in some ways, as we visited John's childhood home and the church in which he grew up, plus our Frequent Flyer Team in Jacksonville- have lost track how many trips those folks have blessed us with in Honduras!  Just lots of nostalgic interactions...lots of joy.
I had never seen the Redwoods that I recalled, so the trip thru Northern CA was a dream come true. We visited the Brownings, neighbors from Honduras for whom John has delivered 2 children. What a fun reunion- they are very special people to us. We hiked one evening with Tom and Patty Harmon, ongoing medical visitors to us in Honduras, who let us wax eloquent about many folk they, too, knew.  Then we went thru Los Angeles for a 2 day visit with John's kin, who very quickly became friends. We stopped for 2 nites with John's brother in Sedona, and as usual, his wife made it a "Healing Place"- what a gift Jane has for making a place where we always meet Jesus and come away feeling renewed!  Tho it had not been planned, we arrived at my folks in Sun City on my mom's 86th birthday, with my sister celebrating her birthday the following day. What fun! From there, we went thru Lubbock to visit the Belchers,  longtime supporters and on to Tulsa.

Josh, Linzy, Hadley, Guildy, and Talby on their ranch

The Redwoods

The pink bluffs of Sedona. 

Brief visit with my folks and my sister in Sun City

Our first week was full of doctor's appointments, tuning up the aging bodies. We are in the process of getting a shoulder replacement surgery scheduled for John, with projected date the end of May. Will be a race to see which happens first, his shoulder or the closing on the condo. We're enjoying being closer to kids and grands, looking forward to being settled into the new place where the little ones can bicycle with us on the trail with good access to the parks nearby. Our overall plan is to spend the summer months when possible in the north, and the winter months here in Tulsa. This year is mixed up due to the surgical need, but its a plan in the making!

Newest grandchild, John Axel, with his sister, Savannah

Week 5 of 5- changing "mailing" address!

Here's the yellow jungle house with the incredible profusion of color that Chilo delights in tending. In honor of our leaving, he asked if he could do a major hair cut- and promptly chopped it all down to about 6 inches! He was afraid that in our absence, it would become an uncontrollable mess. Sniff! 

Dinner with Sonia, longtime hospital employee and friend

Our last week is a blur...Abby helping me get past the impasse in packing by pushing me thru the first 2 50# bags, daily visits at 7 am from 2 yr old Aleyah, savoring our last days together and getting her hair in braids for mom, impromptu counseling sessions with an old neighbor, Suzanne, who providentially arrived in the country for our last week, many "last" quick runs next door to enjoy Heidi,  dinner with Tumlinsons and their 3 special kids. Then there were meals with local Honduran friends, all memorable. I am thankful for digital memories for when my own memories fade! 

In our last blog, we shared a trip to Arenalosa to visit Jesus and Milagro. While there, we tried to convince her pregnant sister, Decy, to come down the mountain to be closer to deal with her twins, who we knew had problems. Decy did not cooperate, but she did have her C-section and had a 2# and a 4 #er, both boys. The little fellows went home about a week out. I got a call just about 12 hrs from the time they left the hospital, at 1 am, that teenie twin had died. So a dawn trip out to the community they had gone home to to pay respect to mom and family. VERY sad way to end our time there with that family we've been so involved with. 

Teenie 1 and Teenie 2- 

Bad storms our last days, causing rising rivers. Were able to get to church Wednesday PM, and enjoyed pastelitos  as a going-away treat. Everyone filed by us to bless us and hug us. I did OK til Joni, our 15 yr old friend, came by. He did not shed a tear when he dad/grandpa died in the fall, so was not expecting him to fall apart. He hugged and hugged and cried. The next day, at our planned meeting time to say goodby one last time and chat, I couldn't get across the river. By God's grace, we got across at sunrise on departure day, to deliver a frozen chicken for an upcoming wedding, and various other things we were gifting to the church folks. Thankfully school was closed, as the next river was flooded also, so had a sweet time with Joni and his mom. 

Dave Fields drove us out on Friday, along with Christine Bell, who had to leave for a visa trip, so we had a kind of prolonged goodbye with them. We stopped and had a late lunch with the Drs. Lanzas, radiologist friends, at a resort halfway to the airport- a delightful treat. They have been very special to John. 

Maria and Allen Lanza

Dave arranged for a wheelchair to meet us in Houston, which made it possible to make our connecting flight! Even with 4 huge bags, carryons and backpacks, we had a smooth trip, made more enjoyable by having access to the USO in Denver for our 5 hr. layover. Blessings upon blessings. My sister, Shellie, met us at 930 PM for the long drive "home"- was hard to settle down, as we were greeted by a beautifully complete remodel job! Our neighbor, Mike, had come in when we left and spent the 5 weeks finishing up trim work and laying the new flooring. We kept coming back out of the bedroom to admire our kitchen and flooring! 

We were heavily laden- Yeah for Errol from United for his help!

Next blog from WA- a 3 week stay here before we take a roadtrip to Tulsa, seeing supporters and family along the way.  More about what our future holds then! Blessings.

Late 4th week of 5 as we leave Honduras

 As we near take-off, the clock seems to have sped up. Last weekend, the McKenney's hosted a Despedida for the Aldens, labeled "FAHP", Familia Alden Hasta Pronto- reflecting Dr. Jeff's desire to encourage hugs, not tears. This means "See ya soon, Alden family". It was 5 hours of swimming for the little ones, barbeque, fotos, lots of one:one visits for John and I, many foto memories.

Have had lunches and dinners with Honduran friends and employees, sometimes feel we are "Cafecito-ing" out way around the community, as they have to whip up their VERY black coffee to serve us with lots of sugar. Somehow, still seem to be sleeping well!

Since pictures tell the story well, will let the fotos suffice for week 4.

FAHP

Last goodbyes to seminary student, Anael, as he headed out on the bus for the long ride to school.

Dr. Jeff assuring the "Hugs, not tears" was written!

Unexpected visit with Genesis, whom we referred to the Children's Center years ago with Downs. She can now walk and is potty trained, and back with her mom, who has come to the Lord and married. She still runs out to jump in my arms, not realizing she's not a wee one and I am NOT young and strong to catch her when she comes flying!

Treasured last AM's with faithful Aleyah, who comes down for a hair-fixing and to hang out in the mornings. 

A visit with the 3rd. Imanuel, a late-in-life surprise for his parents.

OpenHouse in Lucinda for a small consignment shop to market local crafts, encouraged by my neighbor Heidi. Here we are enjoying Topos, frozen fruitj uice in baggies, sold by the new shop.

One of John's favorite families, Xiomara and Juan Carlos. John delivered Aron at home 6 years ago, and Caleb in the hospital. Xiomara is thriving in her Social Service at the hospital, soon to be an LPN for us.

Week 3 of 5.....Down with Motorscooters!

 Last Saturday, we took some folks up to Arenalosa, "slippery sand", to visit long-time friends and patients there. Its an uphill, scary drive and then a LONG climb by foot and across a ridge to the home. Our goal was to bring cupcakes up for the #2 birthday of Milagro (Miracle), who weighed in at 2# on the pulperia grocery scale at birth. Many in the hospital were involved with her and the family when she was admitted at 10 days, VERY hungry. While mom built up her milk supply by pumping, 2 of our missionary moms who had recently given birth shared their milk with little Milagro. She is now very able to help with family cores, like grinding corn for the tortillas. She has her own wee table where she pats out her tortillas.
An auntie of Milagro is nearing term with twins, one of which is not growing. Part of our visit involved getting a message to her that she needed to be "down below" long before labor began. However, there is no cell signal up there so the family dispatched a 7 yr old nephew on his horse to ride the long trail to Aunt Decy's house, with a message tied inside a plastic bag tied to his waist band!
Glad we did the adventure, as John took a fall on the motorscooter going down the hill to the hospital on Wednesday AM. He twisted his knee badly, as well as hitting his head and arm. So he has been bedridden with that leg elevated, wrapped and iced for 48 hrs. We began crutches late today, praying he gets enough healing to be independent when we leave the country in 2 weeks!  He has been a model patient----making it easy to be a good nurse! I continued teaching my Nurses Aide class, running back home on break and lunch to check on him and keep him supplied with ice and beverages! A challenging- but good- week!

Pony Express ready for departure!

John on the long trail down the mountain.

Alden casita as we prepare to pass it on to the ministry. Getting emptier by the day. Memories.

The Tall and the Short of our Heimlech Maneuver class!

sunrise, sunset...swiftly flow the days....

Last week, one of the first acquaintances we made in the campo came into the ER in the evening and the doc on call called me because they couldn't find her chart anywhere- and the patient mentioned she knew me. She had been hammock-bound since we'd met her 8+ years ago from crippling arthritis, and we'd seen her "raise" her 2 young girls, then 10 and 11, along with 3 grandchildren, who had been sent to her after birth as the mom was living on the streets in Ceiba. Many have tried to help the family in various ways over the years....with dubious success. Most of those years, we'd brought meds out to the mud shack for D, as her condition did not allow her to travel from her hammock. This visit, D's bloodwork and condition were not encouraging...and after several days inpatient, it was time to share with her that we could not continue transfusing her and that her condition had no cure. The first night, so weak she could barely be heard, D shared with me that she was uncertain of her relation with the Lord, so we spend time talking and praying. Many others who knew her and had invested in her deeply shared during the few days with us. John was the makeshift ambulance to get her home,where we gently lifted her from the pickup bed in her soft matress and transferred her to a hammock in the main room of the small cementblock house the community had made her last year- no more than 20x20. 9 people live there. D will spend her last days there with her children, and her grandchildren. 

D and her daughter, with nurse Penny in the Toyota ambulance! This was my day off!

Week 2 of our allotted 5 has begun. We had a delightful time celebrating one of the MK's 16th birthdays on Saturday night. Mariah Fields had planned a special dinner and celebration at a nearby hotel, and it was a night of enjoying our youth all fancied up in their formals, tuxes, dress jeans, etc. The attire was "jungle formal"- meaning whatever you had in your closet that suited! Sweet fellowship that will long be remembered. The missionaries here excel in celebrating!

The birthday girl and her little brother

The stellar CPR class!

Did the first of 2 CPR classes today with the help of the other 2 missionary nurses, Christy and Heather. The teamwork made it go more smoothly than normal, and have never had such an enjoyable class!  (Hopefully, they really learned something and we'll see the fruit of the investment!)  The Lord has made it very clear to me that He's put all my responsibilities in capable hands, and right now, I'm feeling like I can pass the baton with no panic. What a ride its been!  I'm feeling keenly everything I do "for the last time"- and just delighting in everything, trying to suck ever last bit of flavor out of these days. 

John is doing the same- out in the villages visiting patients and  church friends, taking his helpers to the public health clinics for the last times. We have the pickup sold, as well as most of our household goods-all of which will remain for our use until we leave on March 15. I am thankful I learned long ago to hold material things loosely- to see them all as loaned for a season by the Lord for my use, but not to be clutched to my chest possessively. When we return to visit, we'll take pleasure in seeing our treasures being used and loved by those we love here!