Back in Honduras

Been back in Honduras 2 very hot weeks now, after 3 weeks in the US, John in the NW and I in Tulsa. John came and went thru Portland, so was able to visit Sarah, Jaie and baby Ellie. He accomplished much on the house we own in WA- with the help of a fellow missionary from here, Terry. The 2 of them played bachelor, cooked for themselves there, supervised the roofing of the house and the installation of the heat/AC unit, and they built the roof on the deck and a fence around it. Can't wait to see it!

I spent the 3 weeks reconnecting to 3 children and 3 grandchildren in Tulsa, as well as numerous friend visits. Spring hit while there, and was able to go to

some old haunts with Eryn and Benton, some we'd visited with them before leaving 6 years ago, one hike in REdbud valley that we'd done with our own 4 kids 20-some years ago! Beautiful foliage everywhere. Always feel so blessed by how we are cared for by our friends there, who find us a car, provide a spacious apartment for us to have our kids and friends visit...and who are available for deep visits and sharing anytime from 6 AM til late. Can't pay for that kind of blessing!

We had 1 week to acclimate again to the hospital work and the church ministry before friends from Tulsa arrived to "vacation" and see firsthand what they have faithfully supported now for 7 years! Bob was supposed to be relaxing in the wake of completing a huge baseball stadium in Tulsa- but was obviously with us "for such a time as this", as he immediately got pulled into 4 days of sweaty work with 2 other engineers who arrived "coincidentally" the same time he did, working on various needs in his field in the hospital. Alexis tackled my disorganized office, and left it in good shape, with all my baskets of baby clothes seperated and folded. She helped me with my weekly afternoon reading time with some of the church kids- they had scheduled a "picnic" at the top of the wooded hill on the church property, so we carried a blanket up and had our brownies and juice and reading practice up there while they climbed the huge trees and took pictures of each other while the others read. We also did some needful newborn visits together, giving her a better picture of those we minister to in their home settings. One night we went out for dinner near here at Rosies, something that had not been available until recently. We had a tasty lobster/shrimp dinner in this rustic place on the beach. En route with them back to San Pedro Sula, we stopped at the Lodge at Pico Bonito, which we'd heard about but rarely take time for "touristy" things. It was a beautiful stop, and we plan to go back one day when its cooler to take a tour of the area with a wildlife- botanist sort to find out about the plants and birds and butterflies in the area.

We had made reservations at an American chain motel so that our guests would sleep well before flying out- only to awaken in the very early AM to find that their AC had not worked and it had taken 3 trips to their room before they finally replaced the whole unit. Then they awoke to find molasses-colored water in their bath, prohibiting bathing! We returned from bringing them to the airport and changed to use the gym, which they had assured me when we checked in had AC. Arrived to find a hole in the wall where the unit had been the night before- said unit was now installed in our friends' room!

We've had several opportunities to use the delivery room since returning- now with AC! Thanks to the man in Tulsa who donated the breakers necessary to complete the installation. Is tempting to sneak in there and pretend its my office! But then one must sooner or later leave- and then one gets hit with the wall of heat. Is better just to stay acclimated to the real world!

The heat is driving even the monkeys crazy- we have not witnessed it yet, but our gardener says several times lately the whitefaced monkeys have come out of the trees onto our back patio, chased the cats, walked on the porch or roof. Can't wait to get a picture of that!

Louis's surgery March 22

Little Louis, whom I mentioned in my last blog, was operated on yesterday for his long-standing intestinal pain, even tho the anesthetist, Sandy, was delayed 24 hours in arrival. The visiting anesthesiologist with the ENT brigade was able to do the anesthesia with Dr. McKenney. Pray for rapid healing and return to little rowdy boy activity! We look forward to the day soon when Louis is out playing soccer with the other boys from the center. The saying "Lord willing and the creek don't rise!" has real significance here, and we saw it yesterday with torrential downpours that kept many of the first day ENT patients home. Here is little Louis before surgery during a pain-free spell.

Patients, New Believers, Heroines

March 21, 2010

Tempestuous start to the hot season here, interrupted by welcome respites of cool rain. Hear our friends in Tulsa, OK are under snow right now, preventing our anesthetist friend, Sandy, from taking off this AM. Awaiting her arrival for 2 much needed surgeries for patients from the Children’s Center!

Following up on last blog: Dubis’s, the 52 yr. old woman with the suspected uterine cancer whose surgery was made possible by donations from our Tulsa Sunday school class, had a hyatidiform molar pregnancy. There will be followup hormone studies for awhile to be sure she remains cancer free. She returned last weekend, having opened up the incision and needing admission with us for IV antibiotics, but is recovering now at home. Thanks for making her diagnosis and surgery possible! We are SO thankful for the relationship John has with the private city hospital and the generosity of the OB-GYN surgeon there. This is not the first time he’s donated his skills and time!

Andrea, the 11 year old whose mom died this past year, has made a decision to follow Jesus in her young life, and with several others having made the same decision in our Sunday School class, we are following her closely to be sure she gets the discipling she needs to be fruitful. Christine, the lab director who is teaching our wee one’s Sunday school class, has bonded to Andrea and is studying regularly with her. Christine is a very timely addition to our church, with the departure of our Guatemalan pastor and family. We are beginning to see some fruit from our 5 years of teaching here….perhaps the 12 strong men I’ve been praying for to form the base of our church group will be mostly youth! Jorge, a 13 year old from a very troubled family, has chosen recently to follow the Lord and arrives sparkling and eager to study. All are entering the time of most temptation in their lives here, their teens. Few make it through unscathed. Pray for the 6 youth that are beginning their walk with the Lord.

This month, I have graduated 6 new students from the nurse’s aide class, so we again have a “pool” from which to select new employees. One has been hired at the children’s center, and another comes on board tomorrow in the hospital. Because of a 3 week planned trip to the US beginning this week, I am sad to not be able to orient her as I’d desired! I have also begun the yearly CPR training, difficult as we can’t afford to pay them to come in on time off and our low staffing doesn’t allow them the leisure of escaping during work time to take the course. But slowly, 3-5 at a time, I am plowing thru the list of nursing staff and doing a 6 hr DVD course with all. Learning from the example of our neighbor, Dr. Don, I put the basics of CPR to a song they all know to hopefully improve retention. I will complete the last group of staff when I return in 3 weeks.

The most inspirational person in my last month has been Liz, who directs the Children’s Center with Iain. They are increasingly getting very difficult kids and babies, as the equivalent of our DHS system has discovered them and are sending them hard cases. Among the recent arrivals was Louis, an 8 yr. old that began coming to our Sunday School. He has now been a patient for over 2 weeks in the hospital, so becoming well-known to all of us. He had an abdominal surgery right before coming here that has left him with some complications, so is awaiting surgery, in much pain at times. Also a patient for several weeks now is little 8 month old Orlin, with head injuries from abuse. He needs a feeding tube to prevent or control the constant aspiration from bottle feeding, so he too is awaiting a surgery. Both were admitted right as iain left for a planned return to his homeland, Scotland. While we “feel” for Liz as she has been a constant fixture in the pediatrics ward, rarely leaving the 2 untended , the blessing has been the chance to see the character and resilience of Liz, making it work with her own son at home and she at the hospital. Her ever-cheerful presence in a full ward, listening to and encouraging the other young women, has not only been inspirational but VERY helpful in being able to address the needs she sees close up there. Thankful for the chance to know the “real” Liz, and be able to rub shoulders with another giant in the faith.

Women's Health Newsletter-update by John, March 3, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, Joel T, one of the FP Docs, referred a lady to the city for an ultrasound exam. Seeing Loma de Luz on the referral, the radiologist, a friend, assumed that I had sent the patient , so sent her back to me with URGENT on the results. He saw evidence of uterine cancer. He also called a mutual friend, the GYN surgeon that I work with in La Ceiba, who took a quick look and confirmed the radiologist's finding. Dubis and her husband, Domingo, showed me the ultrasound exam. She reported that Doctor Sae told them that it could not wait and that I was the one who could make it work. Now and then her husband sobbed and interjected "There is NO Way, we have no money". With the exception of feeling that a CAT scan was appropriate to have a better idea if we were dealing with metastasis, it was easy to agree with the other opinions from a quick look at the ultrasound. The following day, Friday, I met with another radiologist who has the capacity for a CT scan and with the surgeon. We agreed on Tuesday as the surgery date, depending on the results of the CT.

On Saturday, Penny and I crossed 2 rivers and several creeks to visit with Dubis and Domingo. They agreed with the plan, but needed continual assurance that we would not let money stand in the way of her receiving the care she needed. "Dios puede hacerlo". (God can do it!) I wrote them the referral for the CT and called Dr Sae to confirm the plans.

As well, Penny sent a note to her "Foul Weather Friend" (FWF), Nancy, who responded that she would "pass the hat" in Sunday School class the next day. Indeed, "Dios Puede": the hat yielded enough to cover the deeply discounted prices of the CT and pathology exams and a good start on the anesthesia bill. Neither Dr Sae nor I will charge the patient and he (the owner of the hospital) will overlook the hospital costs.

Monday evening, with a CT result of "no evidence of metastasis", Dubis was admitted and at 7 am on Tuesday, we were in the OR. As we got to the point where we could open and examine contents of the uterus, we found what appeared to be a very different kind of probably benign tumor, and one that would be unheard of in a post-menopausal patient. On Friday, nine days after her first exam, and amidst Domingo's interjections that "we have no money" and that "Dios puede", Dubis was discharged. I am awaiting the pathology results.

On Friday while I was discharging Dubis, Penny was walking one of our young pregnant patients through the HIV clinic at the public hospital. On a VERY happy note, the clinic lab negated our positive, preliminary "screening" test.

But if you would, please pray for another of our young pregnant patients, whose screening test affirmed her HIV. Pray that she will both continue with her prenatal care and with the HIV clinic; that her baby is not infected and for her healing.

Zippety Doodah, Zippedy Aye, My o My what a wonderful day

Friday, I (Penny) had planned to use my day in the city to walk a pregnant young lady thru the HIV system in the public hospital while John did the other errands. Was struck by the dirt and disorder, garbage, broken equipment outside the buildings in the hospital compound. The nurse that we finally got routed to was efficient, very kind, neat and informative- a wonderful contrast. When I asked her how often this confirmatory blood test turned out negative when we had a positive from our hospital, and she tersely replied "Never", and I watched S's eyes well up with tears. This is pregnancy #4 for her, and we had already gotten a negative on her husband. The Nurse poked S's finger after cleaning it with water, as she was out of alcohol. She did not have gloves to use. While we waited for the 15 minutes for her to read the results of the blood test, she began to outline the protocol that S would immediately begin, due to the pregnancy. When I again said, "Now, that’s IF its positive". She brushed away my statement and continued her efficient teaching. At the 15 minute mark, she turned to read the test- and said quietly, "It's negative!" She quickly asked S if she could still get blood out of the previous stick (so as not to waste another lancet!) and she could, so she did a second confirmatory of a different type- also negative. YEAH!
We went to a dirty Dunkin' Donuts to celebrate, and S talked about how she felt, like she had a new life. She had walked with this hanging over her head for a week, wondering how she'd contracted the disease, as she was clear that she'd been a "senorita" when she married and that her husband was faithful. She stayed with us all day as we did our errands about town, commenting frequently how free she felt. Made me think of how I felt at 18 after I’d ended a year’s search for the Truth and encountered Grace!
Resolved: visit the HIV clinic to bring alcohol and gloves! Pray for our friends who weekly visit patients dying there of AIDS, and help them with their needs.

Yesterday we had Andrea up for the afternoon, to make cookies for our Sunday School class, just have some 1:1 time with this 11 yr old orphan from the Children’s Center. Her mom died in October, so Andrea will be raised in the Center she’s done with school , one of her mom’s last requests. She has seen and felt too much in her 11 years, so is a joy to see her eyes sparkle. Christine, 26 yrs old, full time lab director here that has bonded quickly to the Honduran kids and employees, came up midafternoon and took Andrea for a ride on her moto, and a hike up to the water tower. We made lasagna for Andrea to test out and bring to Liz and Iain, the Children’s Center parents. Think it was time well spent!

The Barba Amarilla

Something stands out each week to make it different from the last. Was beginning to interview the last of the 6 students for the Nurses Aide class I begin On Feb. 8 when I got a call about noon to head for the ER. Found an 8 year old boy, Emin, from 3 hours up the mountain, VERY pale and agitated, with a bloody rag around his index finger, and dried blood from head to toe. He had been bitten by a poisonous snake, a Barba Amarilla, supposedly the day before, and arrived with a hematocrit of 10 (dying) and blood that would not clot, effects of the venom. We got 2 IV’s running, l for anti-venom and the other to transfuse blood. While we ran the antivenom, Norma donated a unit of blood, having been prepared just 18hours before to give blood for another patient that ended up not needing it. So that sped up the process and we had both blood and antivenom in by 7 pm, and the little fellow was asking for food and drink.
The story gradually came out that he had been bit Saturday, and grandpa used natural medicines to treat him, having had success in the past. When he began bleeding from ears and nose and vomiting blood, they called a family member in San Pedro who works at a hospital to travel the 7 hours and bring “suero” or IV solution to give him. That is the cure- all here. So there had been a 4 day- plus delay in seeking the hospital.
When I arrived early on Thurs and entered Emin’s room to check on him before going to my office, he was almost bright eyed. I was delighted to hear that the first need was to treat him for bad headlice and parasites- you only treat live boys for that! With all the loving on him we did, I suspect I need to buy a gallon of lice shampoo to pass around.
Like I frequently say, one doesn’t have time to adequately process one emotional event before jumping right into the next one. Early the same AM, Don Pedro, a gentle elderly man who had been carried by his granddaughters down the mountain in a hammock on Christmas Eve, had gone to be with the Lord. After being with us a month, all were very attached to him and there were many tears. So after leaving Enin in stable condition, 4 of us went into Balfate to the wake to visit with the many family members, and particularly with the granddaughter that works with us. Don Pedro and his wife had been together over 60 years.

Little Emin recovering!

Jan 24, 2010

Jan. 24, 2010 “When its all been said and done, there is just one thing that matters. Did I do my
best …did I live my life for YOU!”

Hm, first blog of the new year! This year’s Christmas eve call fell to John, so he(we) had a busy evening. Early in the evening, we received an elderly couple who were carried by their granddaughters in hammocks down the mountains, both very ill with malaria and other age-related problems. They were followed shortly by a young victim of a shooting. Amongst the celebrators in the nearby town of Lis Lis was someone who ended up shooting 2 men, neither of whom was brought to the hospital, but a third bystander (or by-rider) was the youth who was riding by on his bike and somehow was shot in the hip. Christmas day was the burial for the 2 deceased…a relative of the murderer appeared at the cemetery and was promptly dispatched in retaliation, a common game here. The hospital suffered personally as one of our employees is part of the same family, and she and her family had to flee to prevent also being victims of reltaliation. We thought we would have to replace her, but fortunately she was able to come back last week.

There was some heavy storming during the next few weeks, with the river being high enough on 2 Sundays to prevent us going to church. One of these Sundays, the housekeeper for the hospital had crossed the flooded river early in the AM, about chest height, not being able to swim. When I found out, I told her I would be there to take her out to the river to cross at the end of her shift, just as a way to thank her for how determined she’d been to get to work on that Sunday. We arrived at the fastmoving stream to find it still uncrossable by vehicle. We waited for a chance to see what others were doing and presently a man and child took off their shoes, tied them around their necks, and the wee fellow was put on dad’s back. Marta did the same with her shoes and followed close to him so as to be able to grab him if she fell. Another older gentleman was having trouble deciding how to cross, not wanting to get himself wet. He had a large piece of tarp with which he was wrapping himself, but couldn’t figure out how to hold on to his backpack and also keep a hand at his chin to keep himself covered with the tarp. Then he decided to take off his long pants to keep them dry. This he did while trying to keep himself from being exposed, but he wind was brisk. He had his pants wadded up under his armpit, but his pack kept sliding down his arm and he would drop the tarp in trying to rescue his pack. So I finally stepped in and offered to roll up his pants and put them in the backpack, put the pack over both his arms, covered him and it with the tarp, and bid him a safe crossing. I sure wish I had had a camera, as was hard to keep from chuckling.

New Years Eve day, I believe it was, we had a frank breech deliver in the hospital. Rare here for one to be born live. One of our employees, an LPN, had had to coerce the patient, her sister, to come to the hospital, as she had seen the signs of it being in trouble. If it were not for her, I believe the outcome would not have been so healthy. This wee one was born with a very bruised bottom, and its little legs kept springing back up straight alongside its ears from the long time in this position intrauterine. Hard to even get a diaper on it! We praise God for the good outcome! Dr. McKenney accidentally got caught with catching this one, as he made the mistake of coming into his office on the holiday and heard a bit of commotion in the ER! He was relieved to see John returning from his trip to the city in time to finish up the job!

Last weekend we escaped on Thursday to make a trip to San Pedro, part vacation and part our desire to pick up Christine, the new lab director from the US. We have known her and corresponded since her first visit here 4 years ago, and John’s communicating was what landed her here amongst us to fill this much-needed position. Poor Christine arrives to find that one of the 3 employees that keep the lab running is leaving so one of her first jobs will be tackling the need for his replacement.

Last Sunday, Rosmery, a beautiful young lady who first came to Loma de Luz as a scrawny patient whose hand had been damaged in a grain grinder, spent the day with us. After several surgeries and long stays in our pediatrics ward, Rosmery had come to live with Saundi and Kenton Brown, our neighbors, as a foster child. There Saundi taught her English, and homeschooled her, getting her ready to enter Teachers College about 3 hrs away. She now spends her time in the Children’s Center when in our area, and right now is home on vacation from her school. Was such a joy to see how she has matured, how deeply spiritual she still is, so much fun to have around. She came to church with us last PM to play guitar with us. She has only a semblance of a thumb on that right hand, and uses an apparatus to strum the keys, but makes a joyful noise unto the Lord.
I made an off-schedule trip to the city Wednesday with Joni, who just celebrated his 12th birthday, who is helping our gardener out during his vacation from school to earn money for some life essentials. He had already earned money to pay for a guitar case I got him to house the guitar donated by a friend in the states. Now he had money in his pocket to buy a school uniform and some supplies. First we had to have his eyes checked, which was a 3 hour ordeal, and ended with finding they could not correct his vision completely as he has bad nystagmus, or eye wiggling. but she fitted him with a nice frame and sent them off to the lab to be picked up next time I'm in the city. Friends had given us $50 to help toward his guitar months ago, and the case was only $10 so had $40 left. When the secretary asked who would be paying the bill, I just nodded at Joni, and he grinned.The Dr. asked if Joni could afford 800 Lempiras- exactly the $40 remaining for him. So the Lord took care of that whole bill, leaving Joni's saving account with $ for the dresser he wants and some church pants. When someone asked Jonie about his eye exam, he reported that they had been unable to correct his eyes, couldn't make him glasses and had filled his eyeballs with air!" Something got lost in the translation!

Returned home to celebrate John’s 61st birthday while our friend, Sandy, was here from Tulsa. She is the anesthetist that comes regularly to help with the surgeries, and so we celebrated 2 days early to include her. Had 2 other couples here, and I recreated the menu of the first birthday John celebrated with me 35? years ago. Tho he got called out to the hospital during dinner, it was still a good time.

This past Friday , about 18 Community Health Promoter “wannabees “ arrived on campus for the day to assess their interest to begin the 3 yr long course. John had been told by the coordinator 6 hrs from here that if he could find a goodly number of interested people, she would begin a course here, with quarterly meetings of 3 days. We have made 4 trips this past year with the 4 trainees from here, to participate in the course near the capital, so this will be a big time saver. I taught a 2 hour community CPR course for them, and we hosted Dr. Gabby and her assistant, Lucy for the 2 nights. They felt like the gathering was a good start and so we will kick off the official program in early march. Yeah!

Weather has gone from a frigid low of 63 degrees back up to sweaty hot again. Yesterday, don’t know if it was the weather change or what, but about the time Rosmery and I were preparing to make chocolate chip cookies, we had a major ant invasion, of 3 different species at the same time! After battling them with towels and spray for a few minutes, we gave up and radioed for help. 2 men responded within a minute or two and stayed, each armed with Raid and a ladder, until it looked like the battle was calming a bit. We let the spray dry til John arrived home from the city, and then he did most of the sweeping into piles and sucking up in the vacuum. It was gross…even in the bedding and the pillows, between pages in the Bible, etc. An interesting day, but not the chocolate chip cookies I’d intended!

Another delivery, the father is a hospital employee. This one was caught by Dr. Rene!