Miracle Miguel, Hand touching Hand

Miguel Angel

Tuesday we went up the mountain on John's monthly clinic visit to Satal. This time, many others went along to participate in the first of what we hope to be many outreaches into the school there, to do physicals, eye exams, developmental assessments and hematocrits on first graders. Each month we will do a different grade.  Was well received, and a good pilot project, which we will tweak and revise to improve it.  A highlight of the day was being greeted first thing at the clinic by a bright-eyed and well-groomed couple whose newborn baby, Miguel Angel, had come very close to losing his life to pneumonia back in the fall. We'd never expected to see him again when we put him on the trail for the long hike home with his folks when he was finally discharged from Loma de Luz. Miguel is a chunky, delightfully active and normal appearing baby now. What a miracle!

Hand touching hand

Got this shot below of a little 4 yr old girl who was inpatient with burns, from a village many hours from here by trail and boat. She was on the tail end of weeks of whirlpool treatments to help her heal. She was a real screamer, and I caught this of her dad's finger gripped in her little hand to keep her calm. Reminds me of the famous Michaelangelo painting of God reaching down to man.  

H

Eryn,(second from L) and her bilingual school classmates and teachers

Eryn and Benton completed 7th and 5th grade respectively today, both  finishing strong. Next week is the long-awaited Missionary Kids' Camp that will host about 60 kids from around Honduras for 5 nights and days of typical bible camp stuff with a Honduran flair. It will be on site here, but we will not see them all week. Our grandkids have heard so many stories about past camps, many now legends, that they are totally pumped. Imagine, John and I will have 5 nights and days alone!  It will probably take the rest of the summer for them to tell us all the stories about it!

 Heading for the US for kids' visa trip in late June, after Iowa Tests for them here.We will be in Moses Lake, WA for a bit, then in Tulsa for the last 2 weeks. As usual, we'd like to see as many of you as possible to share what we're up to here. Please contact us at pennyalden@gmail.com or at our US cell phone of 509-431-1885.

Solomon, homeschool helper, update on baby Milagro

The 75 yr old homeless man did not lift his cataract- occluded vision to meet my eyes, even with an encouraging hand on his shoulder and much repetition. Like perfume that preceeds a young lady as she enters a room, so the "perfume" of this chronically unbathed gentleman had greeted me as I entered the ER to translate for Dr. Abby that PM.  I had encouraged his son to get him showered while Dr. Abby paid attention to the first patient, after reading a note from several years ago on his chart that he was homeless.  I guess I thought I'd do him the favor of gifting him hot water and soap while he waited!  When he didn't return, I walked down to the bathroom and witnessed a standoff between him and his son, with Solomon holding tightly to his pants. I was not blessing him with my magnanimous idea of bathing.  So I asssured him it wasn't necessary and escorted him back to the stretcher in Er so Abby could examine him.  That, too, proved to be too much invasion for our patient. I guess we assume when a patient arrives in ER, it is voluntary and that he has a very pressing need he wants tended. While Solomon again held tightly to his pants, and resisted all my attenpts to undress him, his son stood silently, helplessly by.  With prodding, he shared that his dad did not like staying with any of the family, that he slept outside, that he had been transported to the ER by our wonderful area mayor at the request of someone who had seen him fall in the dirt street. The pain from a HUGE hernia at times overcomes him....but he had NO intention of accepting any treatment.  A helplessness overcame us, far worse than the odor emanating from him. Unwilling to let him just leave and admit we had nothing to offer that he'd accept, I remembered a suitcase of men's clothes.  I rustled up a baseball cap, shirt, socks and crocs  and before he could resist, slipped off his VERY encrusted clothing and put the new things on. I then put my hand on his shoulder and began to pray for him, feeling like he was unreachable. When I opened my eyes, he had removed his new cap and had it pressed against his chest in respect and I could have sworn I saw the glisten of tears in his eyes.


Since our night in the hospital with John in Sedona, AZ for chest pain- just 3 weeks ago- he's had a positive blood test for H. Pylori, much easier to treat than heart problems!  So for those wondering about "the rest of the story", he is now on medicinal treatment to take care of this GI problem!

Baby Milagro

Kara and Benton

We have been back on the job here at the hospital now for 2 weeks. As a followup on baby Milagro (Miracle- see earlier blog) who came to us at just over 2 pounds and 10 days old- we saw her on a return visit to the pediatrician after almost 3 weeks at home, weighting over 5 pounds. She has a double chin and fat cheeks- her mom, Jesus, seems to be taking good care of her! More Miracles to come...


We have been praying for a homeschool helper for me to allow me to put some time in as a nurse at the hospital.  That need has become more urgent with the imminent, unexpected arrival of 2 student RN's that will be doing their mandatory social service with us. Aside from the 
need for training, they will be a big blessing over their year here. This past week, the Lord met my need by sending a visitor, Kara, to help me for 3 weeks. It always amazes me how the Lord meets the need! I know wait on Him to send me someone else to cover 4 weeks from April 13- mid May!

An Unasked-for Day of Rest March 6, 2011

Penny writes most of our notes.  Once and a while, especially if it is a happy baby story, it falls to me.  This is not a baby story, but I think that if I don't write it, it will confirm what some think, that John is in a state of "Chronic Denial"  or chronically "out in the ozone".

Today I was allowed to honor the Sabbath.  Penny did not. (hm, he must be speaking about a REST!  Penny) She spent the morning sharing about the work at Loma de Luz, with a church in Sedona, Arizona.  It's my brother's church, among our earliest supporters.  It was not something that she was looking forward to alone.  But her sharing, with each of the morning services, was well received.  She came away very encouraged.

I did something that I have never done.  I read the entire book of  John in one sitting, with some little interruptions.  But the point is that I got a different overall picture.  I really enjoyed it.  I was also challenged to think about the meaningfulness of our lives.

Probably the most annoying interruption was the tearing off of one series of chest EKG lead patches to arrange another set.  I would estimate about 40 patches, all together.  Since I started the day with a normal chest of hair, I still had some at the end of the day, but there are some bare and nearly bloody spots.  Another less-than-fun interruption was running on a treadmill.  But it was ok- "normal heart rate change" and "normal blood pressure change",   "No S-T wave changes", and "random isolated ectopic beats". The nicest line on the results was "cardiac output =  20% above average".  Its good to be above average in something.  I almost drifted off during the 15 minute Nuclear Contrast Uptake scan.  That was OK, too. We'd lost a night's sleep with ? chest pain.  The nice young fellow who discharged me from the hospital more or less asked "Have you tried any antacids?"

So in the end they sent me home with the routine warnings.  Of course most of the nurses and doctors had learned that we live in Honduras.  At least one severely challenged me with the idea that we should not be returning home this week.  I told her that I did not want to die sitting in a chair.    She said "OH!, I understand, but you know I have to cover my---" and she patted her backside.

18 months ago, a hero of mine collaped and died behind the pulpit.  That is how I want to go (figuratively speaking, of course). I need to think this thru, tho, as that would be very distressing for a young pregnant patient. So perhaps carrying a backpack up the trail to the clinic in Satal,  No, it would be better, coming back down the trail from the clinic.  Now you all know, not a word of this is to be mentioned to Xiomara (the faithful young lady who has worked with me for about four years now).

Penny and I easily talked about some of the things that come up at these eye-opener times of our lives, as we returned south to near Sun City, AZ.after late afternoon discharge.  I think that we were in pretty good agreement.

Jesus and Milagro

This past week we admitted a longtime acquaintance whom we have known since we first arrived in Honduras. Jesus, now about 20, arrived with her 10 day old little girl, Milagro, who had been born at 30 weeks gestation at home. John had admitted her to our hospital several weeks ago to stop early labor, and had transferred her on to the public hospital in La Ceiba where she was treated. Fortunately, she was given steroids to mature the fetus's lungs, because when she resumed her labor several days later and was prevented from going to either hospital by the heavy storms in our area, her little Milagro (Miracle) did not have the respiratory problems one would expect from such a premie.
Having been told by the local Health Department not to bring the baby in until she reached 5 lbs., Jesus obediently kept Milagro home with her, weighing her in at the local pulperia (little storefront) in the vegey scale. She thought she'd weighed about 3 lbs. By day 10, Milagro was weakening and her own supply of milk was about gone. Jesus arrived very ill herself, but is improving. We've successfully helped her restart lactation and begin giving her own milk to the baby. Two nursing missionaries on site contributed their own milk in the days before Jesus's supply became sufficient. 8 or more missionaries volunteered to take l feeding a day to ease the load on the overworked Honduran nurses, every 3 hours. We've been rewarded in seeing Milagro begin to suck better, increase her ability to tolerate the feeding amounts, open her eyes...and to see the joy in her mama's eyes when she is able to use her own milk to satisfy her firstborn. Pray for Miracle Baby, as Benton calls her. She weighs in just over 1 Kg.

6 weeks AG (after grandkids arrived!)



Bicycles for Xmas- mobile at last!



We've just completed 6 weeks with the grandkids living with us here in Honduras! I have taken an almost total leave of absence from nursing at Hospital Loma de Luz for the forseeable future to allow me to homeschool Eryn and Benton.

Both kids enjoyed the annual missionary Christmas pageant, and we were blessed with more than our normal of festivities, gift-giving, special meals, etc. Benton's 11th birthday followed Christmas by just 1 day. We woke him at dawn to hike to the watertower above for sunrise, and he was King for the Day, selecting all his meals. He shared his day with a few friends for pizza and games.



studying at Joni's home



Joni is a local 13 year old with whom we share lots of time- he works for us on his vacations from school to accumulate funds for the bilingual school in which we've scholarshiped him. He has become a friend of Eryn and Benton's, and they are mutually enjoying English/spanish, and all learning a lot! Eryn and Benton will accompanty me one day weekly to that school when they resume classes in February to teach English, in the hopes they will learn more spanish and get immersed in the culture.

       Eryn is slowly adapting to the little school some of her age MK's attend for History, Science and Writing. It demands that she budget her time to get outside reading done, divide her work between the school days as they don't meet daily, and keep track of her schedule. We are both growing! Benton is here full time at home with me for his 5th grade work, and both have now added daily spanish and guitar to their already full schedule. Both kids look forward to the day's end when they can go play soccer with the locals down the hill or just relax with a friend.



Benton flexing with visitor, Henry!



The heavy rains of winter have continued, with much cooler than normal weather overall. Its made the adjustment to a tropical climate much easier for the kids. The past few days the river has not been crossable by truck and l bridge is barely passable as the access is washing out. We transported a pregnant nurse/friend to that river so she could attempt to get home to the city for her days off this am- this picture shows her on the trusty steed, ready to be led across the swollen river to hitch a ride home on the other side.

Prayer needs: for kindred spirits for both kids. That the tight circle here would open to make them a true part of the Work.







The Wonder of It All

Entering the week before christmas here in Honduras.  I returned on December 3, with our two grandkids, Eryn, 12, and Benton, almost 11, in tow. Thus began a new era in the lives of Grandpa and Gran!  Its been amazing how fast they both have acclimated to a new land, culture, language and family. They are redecorating our home and our lives- with much laughter and adventure!  Eryn began experimenting with the Bilingual School, El Camino, run by the McKenneys, to see how she would adjust in the 2 weeks she had with them before they dismissed for Christmas break. We'll reassess down the road a bit to see how she is doing. She is only there a few hours weekly, and will spend the rest of her time with me at home. Benton has all his classes with me. Both are having spanish language lessons here at the house. 

kids after decorating


Because they came in during holiday season, its been a bit partyish since arrival, with movies next door for the highschool coop there, the missionary Christmas party, a 15th birthday party of one of the kids here, and anticipating the annual christmas pageant next week, in which both have a part. This more than normal excitement has made their entry festive and fun!  We've decorated a bit, baked a lot, delivered presents. The weather has been pleasantly cool, to ease that adjustment. They have yet to learn to live in a land of unrelenting heat with its discomforts! They are enjoying frolicking in the ocean, running up and down the steep hill to the hospital gate, arising early with the sun and going to bed early with the same. All in all, the Lord has blessed them immensely with good adjustment.
Within the first 48 hours home, I had assisted in a Code in the hospital, much to the kid's consternation when I flew out the door and hopped on the motorscooter. During the next night, a fellow missionary went into labor and I awoke the kids to accompany us to their home to assist John in the delivery. They were initiated immediately into the need for flexibility. Since then, I have not been much in the hospital, will take an indefinite leave of absence.from direct hospital involvement until its clear the 2 grandkids are thriving in school and in their personal lives. They are our primary mission right now.

This past Monday, they accompanied me into San Luis, a nearby village, to assist Lindy in teaching guitar and scripture to a porch class. Both kids got to learn some chords with the kids, and added spice to their .
day. In addition, provided spanish interaction.
Please pray for them in their first Christmas away from their mom. Pray for her also. Eryn leaves us a love note on our pillows many nights- she learned it somewhere! Both are very huggy and sensitive- their mom has been a good teacher. We don't pretend to take her place...but pray for God's grace in their lives to use this time with us to grow mightily. I know that God will honor their nightly prayers for healing for their mom. Thanks to all who have been (and ARE) a part in making this work for all of us. Getting us school books, making trips to deliver things to a courier passing thru Tulsa...all bless us immensely. May you all be touched by the wonder of this special season as we are. John and Penny

HE LIVES! by John Alden (December 12, 2010)

HE LIVES! No, I am not confused, I know that this is Christmas and "He Lives" matches with Easter.

Yesterday was not routine. In the wee hours of the morning, we had a baby. Never suggest to a pregnant lady that having a baby is routine, but most of the time you know where you are going and most of the rest you are ready for. Being on ER call is different, Sometimes, if you knew what was coming, you might call in "Sick". In these cases, the best preparation is prayer. I am not speaking just of my own, but those who routinely pray for us and the work here at Loma de Luz.

Jose Contreras is a 23 year old whose family lives in Las Crucitas. For those of you who speak Spanish, you might think that it is a Catholic community, but that is not the origin of the name (and that is a different story). Yesterday, Jose got into a fight with his chain saw; he did not win. If your favorite color is a dark red, you might like the picture. No, I don't think so!

You do not have to know much about Human Anatomy, to know that there are some big arteries in the back of the leg. We could not have collected blood and transfused him quick enough to save Jose's life. An hour drive to the city, rainy season, rivers without bridges, and the State Hospital that looks more like the County Fair Ground than a hospital, Oh, LORD!. The LORD looked down upon us with grace.

An available, ambulance-like Land Cruiser, (Thank You, Iain and Liz), an ambulance driver (Jon Lent) and nurse (Norma Hunt). A couple of fast running IVs, a tourniquet and your routine prayers. Jose arrived at ATLANTIDA (the State Hospital) with a hematocrit of 11 (normal 40). They had a unit or two of blood available and he was off to San Pedro Sula where there might be a vascular surgeon.

 I heard late today that Jose Contreras lives. Praise GOD!

Thank you for your prayers for the work here.

John