How hard can it be to leave the country?

We had an uneventful departure from the hospital Monday, albeit 4 hours later than planned, as John had forgotten to clear his schedule of patients!  Kids finished their Iowa tests and rejoiced in "ending" the school year officially, tho they will continue doing their math all summer. We made it to our hotel not too far from the San Pedro Airport with time to go to the mall for everyone to enjoy their favorite at the foodcourt before bedding down in midst of a fierce rain storm that was rather lulling. After an early AM swim and breakfast at Dunkin Donuts, we left our pickup in the keeping of Hector for our 5 weeks out of Honduras, and headed for the airport with plenty of time to spare. Enjoyed visiting the large team that had been with us at the hospital, as they were headed out on the same flight as we were.  We enjoyed our last hour in the food court of the airport, playing chess and Bananagrams with the kids and visiting.  We got up to go to our gate...and discovered that we were short John's backpack, in which he carries everything but the kitchen sink, like a good Scout master.  In the ensuing delay of contacting airport security and reviewing the security camera video, we missed our flight. Marvin and Sharon Lopez had brought the large team in, and willing waited during our delay and even helped a lot with the police visiting. They graciously drove us to another motel to spend the night, as Continental was unable to get us out til the following day.  In the stress of the theft and making contingency plans, we forgot til much later to check and verify that our flight from Dallas to Spokane had also been revised to reflect the lost day....and found it had been overlooked.  Hours on the internet and phone from the hotel yielded no available flights, and then a big storm coming in took out the internet for the rest of our time. So John left for the airport on the first shuttle to try to plead for help.  Because the flight had been made by Continental but using United, they could not help us, so John was finally able to get a flight out on Saturday night...stranded in Dallas for 3 days and nights!  The July 4th holiday had all flights booked full and very costly. 
Many calls back and forth with our FWF (Foul Weather Friend) in Tulsa, much prayer by the LDL community and Tulsa Bible Church...and the Lord brought to mind fellow missionaries, the Kenworthy's, Wycliffe, who live in Dallas. With the need to close all our accounts and reopen new ones, finances are in a  bit of an upheaval as we seek to prevent any of the financial information stolen being used wrongly. Having a place to rest our heads for the 3 days we must be laid over in Dallas is a great blessing.  
So how have the Wild Things tolerated this unforeseen delay, as they have been counting down days and then hours til they again were in their mom's arms?  Amazingly well.  We are so proud of them!  They both congratulated John at supper last night and gave him an A+ on how well he'd handled the crisis. They have used the extra time to swim to their hearts content, to play games, were blessed to be bumped up to a first class seat for the flight to Houston,and are now both watching individual movies in the luxury of the USO here in the Houston Airport during a 5 hr layover. Its been an inconvenience for their mom, to be on hold in Dallas an extra night, but only a few more hours for them and they'll all be together.
John was robbed of his mini laptop, his cell phone, and all our financial paperwork. Please pray that the thief will only take out the sellable items and trash all the paperwork!  One day we'll see why the LONG delay in getting to the NW has served some unseen purpose. Thanks for your prayers and concern. 

Cheekie and Chispa, Adam and Eve

Our gardener and friend, Chilo, caught a baby squirrel (ardia) awhile ago and the kids quickly bonded to it, naming it Chispa, or Spark.  A little friend later advised them that "she" was a "he" and they needed to rename it.  It remains Chispa, and delights all of us with its bonding and chirping sounds, and its constant aerobic exercises in its large hanging cage outside our bedroom window. Later, John stopped on the highway and bought a little parrot, more parakeet, that has not  yet bonded to any of us.  Her name is Cheekie.

On a human note, last Tuesday when John was in Satal, where he holds a Women's Clinic in the mountains every 3 weeks, he saw what looked like newborn twins. He discovered that, tho they weighed 8 lbs., they were almost 11 months old. He met with the family and the LPN of the clinic and decided to bring them down the mountain for evaluation and admission. Adam and Eve, whom Eryn has named Itty and Bitty, have not yet begun a growth spurt, but their intestines have been treated, they have had ultrasound to evaluate the level of malnutrition(severe), and have been started on a feeding regime.  Eryn has become passionate about their care,  researching WHO literature on malnutrition, and participating hours daily in their loving care and physical therapy, which she is learning from a visiting PT/OT. As usual, we are blessed to have a specialist here for "such a time as this".  This is a pic of Dr. Greene ultrasounding one of the twins and Adam using the probe as a Popsicle.

We do not know how long the twins will be hospitalized, but we need to begin seeing some weight gain before we release them to stay close by for followup.  Their hospital bill will be impossible for them to pay.  For those of you with a passion for babies, please consider making a donation for that bill, designating it "Woman's Health Fund".  We want nothing to cause the mom to take the kids home prematurely. Send donations to Cornerstone International, PO Box 192, Wilmore, KY 40390, specifying Aldens, To the Least of His Brethren, Women's Health Fund. On a seperate note, specify Twins.  We'll keep you posted on their progress!

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.