Political unrest in Honduras

For lack of time and words, I am pasting with permission of Dr. Joel 2 things that have consumed our minds and our time this week. Then I will follow the first with an update from yesterday. The following was written Thursday night.

"Gabi is a 5 year old girl who I first met almost 6 weeks ago. She came in have her first seizure (maybe, there were some questionable ones in the days leading up), and it was a doozy. Status epilepticus, for those medical types. All told she was probably seizing for over 35-40 minutes by the time we got it suppressed w/ phenobarbital (a strong sedative and anti-seizure med). She was then in the hospital for 2 days, the first mostly sleeping off the drug. After leaving, she came back the next week w/ no new seizures, controlled on her dose of phenobarbital, happy and sweet. She even sang me a song! I thought we were on our way to a happy ending. However she returned a few weeks later and had scary symptoms developing: severe weakness in Right arm and hand, difficulty walking due to weakness in R leg, and facial droop like a stroke victim has. Distressed, I told her mom that she would need a CT scan. Mom seemed somewhat detached from it all, and blamed all her problems on intestinal parasites. She seemed to understand the need for the CT scan, but said she couldn't afford it. I told her that I would speak to her pastors (since they both serve at our hospital as well) and that her church would help. The Yosts, a missionary family in that same church, offered to pay for 1/2 and drive her to get it. I made her an appt for 3 days to try and get time to make the arrangements. Mom and Gabi did not show up. I heard from those in her church that she told everyone that Gabi was improved and didn't need to go, so not many people contributed in the offering. After missing another appointment, Gabi and mom finally showed up (2 weeks later, after multiple attempts by pastors and missionaries to have them return), and Gabi looked much worse. Very lethargic, still walking, but just barely, and now having developed deviation of one eye. After some long discussion w/ one of our excellent nurses and Peggy, mom agreed to get the CT scan and said she could come up w/ about 1/4 of the cost. The other was covered by various others touched by this beautiful, suffering little girl. Ct done next day. Not good news when they came back Wednesday. She has a tumor the size of a small egg in the L side of her brain. We kept her overnight in the hospital, and after some-difficult-to-explainresistance from mom, who still seems somewhat detached, and required several "talkings-to", arrangements were made to take her to the largest government hospital in San Pedro Sula. The have experienced neurosurgeons there and even pediatric oncologist, whom I spoke too and who agreed she need to come there. So today mom and Gabi were taken in car by staff to that hospital. I really ask you all to pray for Gabi that God would heal her, that she could get the surgery she needs and would grow to become as lovely a woman as she is now a lovely girl. Pray that God would protect her, that she could even have no significant neurological deficits after her treatment. Even pray that her healing would be an amazing testimony and set off a revival in her town. Also, pray for mom that God would touch her through this and bring her to himself. Pray that she would see her need for Christ and repent. Pray that God would give her strength to be a good mom during this difficult time. Pray for provision for her other children whom she had to leave behind w/ other family."

John and I traveled to San Pedro yesterday, Friday, to be ready to greet Eryn, our 11 yr old granddaughter, traveling into the country with Dr Leon and Judy. We visited Gabi and her mom and aunt in the hospital about 6 PM. Gabi had gone into convulsions again shortly after arrival in SPS, and then into a coma. She was still in Pediatric ER 24 hrs later- still in the same green dress, but now unresponsive. We had been told that she was on mechanical ventilation- hm, the mecanics of which is mom and auntie taking turns squeezing the ambu! They have done this for over 24 hours...they're mad and tired. Gabi has probably winged her way heavenward as I write. Will call when its a decent hour.

The second attention grabber of the week is the political unrest here that Dr. Joel describes far better than I can. Due to being involved in the hospital, I had not been on email all week, and the gradually increasing tension had escaped me. All here will be staying close to home as the national "referendum" is tomorrow, Sunday. There is nothing else in the news here. Tho we know its "small potatoes" in the states, as is the pathos of our Gabi, it nonetheless a crises here.

To quote Dr. Joel, at present there is a "showdown between the president and executive branch and every other branch of the government/power structure. In short, President Zelaya, w/out saying what changes need to be made, is calling for a vote of the citizens to see if they want a 'cuarta urna'(fourth ballot, the first three are for 1)local candidates 2)congress candidates 3)presidential candidates) included in November's elections. Unfortunately, there is no such polling or cuarta urna allowed in the Constitution. There are other ways established w/in the Constitution to change the constitution, but apparently he is not interested in these methods. Probably b/c he could never get enough support to get them called. Slyly, he won't say what part of the consititution needs changing, just saying that it "doesn't work" or is "bad". Apparently, this hasn't fooled too many people, as the press and most people interviewed call it a veiled attempt to seek continuismo, staying in power continually. Lately it has really become a showdown, and looks like it might develop into a crisis. It is incredibly interesting, but scary too. The atmosphere builds w/ the weightness of what is happening. W/in the past week, the Supreme Court declared the polling unconstitutional and ordered the armed forces and police to NOT participate. The attorney general declared it illegal and has threatened to bring charges against any government officials or workers or citizens who help put forth the polling, as it is against the law and considered an "attempt against the state". Just yesterday, the president fired the equivalent of the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff of the armed forces, when the general said he would not follow the presidents order to establish the cuarta urna, b/c to do so was to break the law. So he got canned. In response, the heads of each branch of the armed forces and the defense minister resigned in solidarity. The next day, the Supreme Court reinstated the head of the joint chiefs, saying it was within his power and that his firing was unlawful. There have been large street protests, so far apparently peaceful, against the president's effort. There have been smaller ones in favor. Their are rumors that the executive branch has been paying money and giving lots of gifts to labor unions and campesino groups to get their support. Like actual cash payments to come to the rally. Their is the sense that the majority of Hondurans are against this, and not just mildly so, but actually fed up w/ it and screaming no. But that could just be my impression from the people that I know. Anyway, at the very least, this is very heady stuff and a potentially explosive situation. Please pray: 1) that the rule of law would win out and that rule of law will be respected, throughout Honduran society
2) that peace would reign and that no violence would occur, no lives would be lost 3) that justice would rule and those guilty would pay the consequences and 4) that God might use this to build a more peaceful, less corrupt, more just society focused on serving its people and lifting up those who have-not. "

We are pensive yet excited today as we await the arrival of Eryn. Pensive as we await news of Gabi, about how her family will handle this. Pensive in the aftermath of a young man who died yesterday AM in our ER from machete wounds after being attacked by 2 men in his field up in the mountains. Hurting for the staff and the need for them to "deal with" such pain. Studying in Perspectives weekly the need to never be resigned to the status quo as regards evil. How to confront evil without forsaking 1 Cor. 13, "Love is patient, love is kind...keeps no records of wrong". Having been rightly accused of being aggressive in the Pediatric ER last PM as I spoke with the doctor, I am truly reassessing my reaction to injustice, how we "take a stand" without anger that is destructive, not life-changing. Pray for us. Pray for Honduras.

4 weeks update

2 weeks ago: The weather has turned almost unbearably hot- I frequently make my rounds with a blue surgical handtowel over my shoulder to wipe off the sweat when it interferes with my performance- like in starting IV’s, when I am dripping over the site. We love the setting of the sun when a lite breeze comes up off the ocean to cool down the house a bit so we can sleep. Rare to need a sheet nowadays.
In the aftermath of Thursday am’s earthquake here in Honduras, we are en route to San Pedro Sula to pick up a couple at the airport flying in from Maine. We stayed in a cheap cabin outside the city and awoke at our normal time of 5:30 to find no water. The owner kindly and apologetically brought us a gallon of water from the wee swimming pool to wash our faces! Knowing there would be no coffee forthcoming here, we forayed into Progresso to a Dunkin Donuts for a breakfast sandwich-and COFFEE! Read The Prensa, the morning Honduran paper, while we breakfasted, and pretended all was well with the world, while we read of growing dangers in the cities here and the aftermath of damage from the quake. We will soon have to cross a bridge that was partially destroyed but we understand we can cross on l lane. We will see! (They say, “Si Dios quiere”, ). Afternote: we crossed without problems. See pic below.

Mid May John and I enjoyed 4 days away in the mountains where John was helping with the OB part of a Community Health Promoters conference sponsored by World MAP, a welcome respite and a wonderful way to spend my 57th birthday, reading a fun book instead of studying as usual. We are very pleased with the results of this 3 year class, which just began. We have 4 young ladies from our area attending, the only drawback being the 6 hr. drive and pulling away to do it every 3 months! It’s exciting to see the light of understanding flash in their eyes as they become aware of different truths. As a follow-up on this, Dr. Gabby, the director of MAP in Honduras , and her sidekick Lucy came to our area this past week to introduce a method of community assessment in Lucinda, teaching Dr. Rene, who works with us, the technique. We are always looking to assess needs so as to better meet them here, so perhaps this will give us a handle on that.

We were glad to have a Physical Therapist here for a short week, in which John and I both accompanied him on some home visits, in addition to which I translated for him for clinic patients. He worked with some of the kids in the children's center as well. Below is our visit with Wilson, a 4 year old severely handicapped child with a captivating grin who suffered a bilirubin of 48 after birth without treatment. We brought out a highchair for him that the PT padded to help his mom with his posture. She and her companion take great care of Wilson, and the love they have for him is tangible.

Our housekeeper, approaching the end of her pregnancy by a married man whose wife is also pregnant, has presented John with some challenges. We have visited with her family, who refuse to let her bring another baby into the poverty of the household. They have agreed for her to return home after giving the baby away! That is not out of the cultural norm here. She does not want to give the baby away, but feels no other options. The father is threatening her over her decision to give up the child, saying he wants to give it to his wife! Oh, Lord, give us wisdom! She is afraid to return to work for her last weeks, having been on bedrest for the past 2, because she says he will get her on the road! Hm. We are seeking options as to how to best bless her and the baby.

…..the above was written several weeks ago, now being June 13. Our houseguests, Mike and Cathey, just left after 2 weeks here, he in the pharmacy and she in nursing and evangelism. During their stay, we were delighted to host 2 men from Faith Comes by Hearing, one from Guatemala City, the other from Ceiba. My brother Jeff with Wycliffe in Nepal put us in touch with this group, as they have used them there to do the audio recording of the language they work in. We spoke of them and the workshop one presented back in May to begin listening groups for the Garifuna Bible. This visit was strictly to encourage John and I, which it surely did. They are both delightful men, one a pastor in a large church in Guat. The other is a youth pastor, 25. Both very musical, so after a typical dinner I gave them both a guitar and with our other guests we sang for over an hour. Then Abdiel had us gather to listen to John 4 on The Proclaimer, the audio tool we have been using, only in Spanish. From that section in scripture, he encouraged us and then prayed over us and our work.

Mom asked for an update on Carla, the little malnourished girl I sent a picture of awhile back. Carla has been at the Children’s Home now since that time, being loved and fed and doctored. It was discovered she probably has beriberi, a vitamin deficiency, so is getting 3xweekly injections of thiamine. Thos she was gaining weight, she was also rapidly gaining girth and walking like a 9 month pregnant lady. An echo showed congestive heart failure, and she also has a very enlarged liver. She is now on heart meds and a diuretic, measuring her girth each visit. She now joins in Sunday school class, says “Adios, Penny” aftr I inject her, and will let me “chinear” her when she’s sad or hurt. Pray for her…she is in need of much physical healing.

While Cathy and Mike were here, another missionary from La Ceiba came out for 2 nights and the 3 guys did 2 sessions of Ham Radio testing to provide legal licences to a few more of the long term missionaries. Tho we now all have cell phones, there are still many places where there is no signal and we all rely on radio to communicate. So was a great blessing to have both Rob and Mike here to form a testing team, all 3 guys being able to give tests.

Our housekeeper Chayto gave birth last Sunday night, quickly and healthily. John and I were with her. I had needed to work in nursing both Saturday and Sunday due to staff sickness, so the added need to be out during the night started my week with less than a full tank! But were thankful Chayto delivered without problems. Her father changed his mind and was actually in the hospital for the delivery, and the second person to hold the baby. It looks like after all our planning to find a haven for her and the baby that it won’t be necessary after all!

Monday I began the first of 10 days of a nurse’s aide class for 5 young women we’d carefully selected as being possible candidates for employment. We know we will need someone very soon, and even as I was beginning the class, another employee is talking of resigning to move. So of the 5 I began training, perhaps 2 will be offered immediate employment and will begin hospital orientation at the end of this coming week. It meant some long hard days, with very little time to prepare, as we had company and then extras each night, so was late before I was able to retreat to our room to study and prepare the next days classes. The Lord honored my intent, and it was a good week. This coming week, we will begin the 5 days of clinical experience in the hospital and clinic. I am thankful to have this group trained so as not to be caught with limited time or options when there is the need to hire someone. I actually enjoyed the week, tho barely made it energy wise!

We're down to 2 weeks today that our granddaughter Eryn arrives! Hoping to have an easier pace with her here after working so hard to deserve it! Many are gone so the hospital should be slower. Our laboratory person and family leave permanently sunday, and others are headed out on visa trips or furloughs. We will be tight...but that also means not so many admissions. Thanks to all who sent their notes of concern about the earthquake- we are covered in prayer, obviously.

Always a reason

(this is Angie, watching her own and her sister's baby, with whom I study each Sunday afternoon)

When I last wrote, we were preparing to leave for a 2 nite trip up to Las Vallas on horses to do a Women's Clinic and a hospital survey, assessing community needs for both evangelism and for community development. We put a lot of energy into preparing, complete with borrowing bicycling shorts to protect my bottom on the wooden saddles! We picked up the male RN at the public health clinic in Balfate, and with all our backpacks and a visiting MD, Dr. Evelin, headed out close to the end of the road to meet the horses that had been sent down the steep trail to take us up. Well, we got there 15 minutes early, really hyped for this adventure- to hear that the locals had been there and departed for some unknown reason! We occupied the sunday afternoon as best we could, dealing with our disappointment, wondering why the Lord had closed that door after such thorough preparations. After exploring a nearby waterfall and introducing Dr. Evelin to Rio Coco, we headed back to the hospital to unpack our carefully prepared backpacks! Back went the hammocks, the granola bars, the women's health supplies.

We only had a few hours to find out why the trip had been cancelled. Early in the evening we got the call that our coworker, Suyapa, had finally gone heavenward after a several month battle with cancer. The next 24 hrs were devoted to that, and some of the missionaries accompanied about 50 staff and friends of Suyapa in a rented bus over to the city for a beautiful wake in her church of many years there. It was a good closure for all of us, who had so many funny and special memories of our friend, her Pollyanna-like spirit, her spontanaity, her passion for lost souls. There was a time for sharing memories of her life, with her fiance Oscar sharing his many years of friendship with her and what he'd learned from her. She was buried in her wedding gown with her engagement ring.

A urology team had arrived Sunday for surgeries, so in between these special memories, we had a very full couple days, screening patients, preparing the chosen ones for surgeries. This team always bring their own anesthetist, and surgical nurses, so are fun. The normal confusion reigned the first day, but think all agreed it had been a success when they left Saturday.

We had planned on catching up Saturday, but John had seen a very sick pregnant girl on Thursday in Rio Esteban, sick enough that he had cancelled lunch plans with some locals so as to introduce Dr. Evelin to the culture there, and taken the patient back to the hospital to admit her. (Evelin and I kept the commitment for lunch, and enjoyed both our visit and the bus ride back to the hospital!) Because the patient had only gotten worse by Friday, John and I made plans to leave with her at dawn Saturday to transport her the 5 hrs. to San Pedro to see a specialist and admit her to the hospital. So our catchup day ended up being in the car driving- we have heard that the patient is doing well, and was discharged, so is all worth it! (This is just part of what Women's Health funds pay for).

Sunday we got a call from Emel, a former employee of the hospital who married in December and is now pregnant. She hosts about 15 Garifuna single women in her home regularly to study the bible. She asked if I could come to help answer the women's questions! Was a real delight to sit on her porch in the shade and listen to her describe her ladies and their search for answers biblically for the plights they have created for themselves. This past week, 2 of the men showed up demanding equal time, wanting Emel to host a study for them too! I talked with Emel's husband, asking him if he felt her could lead a companion study, and he agreed! Pray for Joni, that the Lord will enable him to tackle this needful task. Not only does Emel host these women, she is also trained in using the Proclaimer and hosts a listening group in Garifuna in her home. (This is the program that John worked to initiate here about 2 weeks ago)

This week was the first of my weeks committing to supervise Oscar in the inventory program and the accompanying organization of all supplies in the warehouses. A dirty, exhausting job, but in the end, it will pay off with knowing where everything is and keeping better track of it for ordering purposes. Oscar is young, think about 19, the youth pastor for the kids in The Church of God in Rio Esteban. I am praying that having someone to teach him his job will bear fruit in better work ethic and job performance. Think he has potential. We are expecting a container from Gulfport any day, so our first major job has been to prepare the receiving warehouse to receive it!

Oscar asked us to come out to his youth group Wednesday night to help him by lending a computer. So we took part in his weekly meeting, John sharing a brief devotional and then being an audience for a drama that the youth hope to present on the soccer field on Saturday night. Looked like they were a long way from ready, but we'll see! We will bring out a projector and the computer for them to use and be on hand to troubleshoot. Thanks, Peggy, for all your computer classes 6 years ago! (below, Oscar on our computer)

Thursday PM was the second of the every other month Honduran Outreach fellowship, in place of our normal missionary praise and worship time. Everyone involved in some outside ministry is invited to bring their folks in to a Spanish worship service preparing and run by the hospital employees. It was great! Women's Bible study groups, our group from Margarita, related churches, etc- with the staff leading singing, preaching, sharing a drama.

Griselia, with whom I played guitar in the schools with Dr. Don's outreach, left us last Monday for a year in an orphanage in the Moskitia. She had waited to "know" her new sister, the ninth girl born to her parents. Little Juanita is now 3 weeks old, so was time for Gris to shove off. Another missionary, Lisa, who is on the orphanage board, and I will fly out to visit her in mid June just to encourage her.

Only 6 weeks til our granddaughter, Eryn, comes for a 5 week visit! This is REALLY big! Can't believe its really happening. We have dreamed of it for 5 years, wanting someone in the family to really SEE what we see here. Blogs only go so far in painting a real picture! Pray with us that its a lifechanging trip for Eryn.

Faith Comes By Hearing.....

Highlights of the week- a representative from Faith Comes by Hearing from La Ceiba visited us for the night Thursday, explaining how their ministry works. We have been praying about using their Proclaimers now since September, just never was a time that worked for all of us to do the training necessary in the Garifuna community to get the program launched. Well, this was the week! Rene Ortiz went out to the church area with John early Friday AM and he trained 4 locals to use the Proclaimers, a self-contained audio device that is either handcranked, solar-powered, or electric, with the New Testament in Garifuna. Delia, Emel, and Enilda, along with our pastor Antonio, went thru the training and plan to begin "listening groups" in their homes in this language this coming week! For those for whom this is a heart language, this will be their first hearing of the bible in their language. WOW!

I shared of little Marbeli last week, a child dying of a horrible facial cancer. Well, 2 of our staff went out to begin home visits but only needed to continue it for a week, as the Lord took Marbeli home yesterday and freed her from her painful body. The needs she presented, along with those of some other terminal patients, have made it obvious that a hospice program would be a blessing. Roseanne McKenney has tackled putting a program together and all will participate as they can in making it work.
I made a trip down to the hospital in the dark Thursday PM to get an oxygen concentrator to carry over to where Suyapa, a staff member, very ill at present, was being cared for. As I opened the back door of the hospital, I disturbed a large coral snake that was lounging along the base of the doors. He startled and began to try to climb the door, causing me to wig out and start yelling for the vigilante. (guard). I could hear him in the interior garden/chapel, coming slowly and muttering something about "She's afraid of the sapo!" I reacted to that, as I have no fear of the large frogs that are numerous here, and continued to yell for him to hurry, that it was a snake! He arrived before it had wiggled off, and with lots of slashing of the machete, quickly dispatched it.
Early in the week I greeted an American family in the waiting room, and heard their story. They had brought a 5 year old girl, Carla, in for malnutrition. She would not converse with me, but looked BAD. She became an inpatient for initial treatment and when stable, was transferred to the children's center, where she will be loved and continue getting adequate protein to build her up. Think there are other children in the home who also need care....the mom seemed minimally aware of how severe her daughter was, and less than capable of providing the needed care.

Our Juana, who delivererd #9 girl named Juanita, or little Juana, arrived home safely just 24 hrs after having her baby, and we climbed the hill to visit them before Saturday evening church last weekend. Beautiful baby, and the other girls are fighting over her. The older sister, Griselia, or Gris, leaves Monday for a year long mission to the Moskitia, a swamp far to the east of us accessible only by air. She will be working in an orphanage there, bringing with her the music outreach proram she has learned from dr. Don, our neighbor. She has been working in the Lucinda schools with him, long before I came on board to help. This is REALLY big- a young person steady enough and strong enough in her faith to leave her family and trust the Lord in this way. Pray for Gris!

Well, busy packing for a 2 nighter up the mountain to a village 3 plus hours by horse, to do a Women's Health Clinic, and access local needs. I am going prepared to do the Wordless Book CEF program with kids if the situation allows, and to do a hospital generated census going door to door. Next blog will report on that! Not being horse-back riders, John and I sure don't know what to expect, but trust the Lord will go before us and send his angels to protect and guide us!

Up the Trail to Satal

Last week, we had Julia for dinner, as she will be going back to the states soon and we had been in the US much of her time here in Honduras. Our attention was somewhat diverted from her when Josh stopped by, interrupting our patio dinner with his iguana. He and said iguana joined us at the table. Only in Honduras!

We celebrated Easter for the first time in the new church building, made more special because it was the first anniversary of the dedication of the building also. It was a quietly festive time, meaningful to all. We hiked up the hill on the church property at 5:30 for our second annual sunrise service, and shared hot coffee and cinnamon rolls in the church when we descended. Because of our own church activities, we missed the missionary sunrise service on the beach, in which Mariah, one of the MK's, was baptized. But we were all together at the annual Easter dinner in the cabildo, sharing a drama by the kids and awesome food. We had invited 2 couples from the Canadian Resort near us, are trying to integrate them a bit into the social life here. John and I had driven after our church service to La Ceiba to meet up with Sandy Hurst, the anesthetist who comes to us a week at a time from Tulsa area. So she too was able to share the Easter activities.

Tuesday, John and I and his helper Xiomara, went with 3 workers from the local health department up a mountain by pickup about half an hour and then hiked in with daypacks another half hour to a mountain clinic in Satal. It was a rugged walk! We spent until late afternoon seeing OB and Gyn patients, doing papsmears, etc. It was our first outreach there, the beginnings of an effort to meet both physical and spiritual needs in remote areas. This was an exploratory trip, and I think a positive encounter for all. Locals prepared us a huge lunch of typical food- rice, beans, spaghetti, a kind of white squash and tortillas. I was bushed by the time we got home, but a good day! Next time up, we hope to take materials to do some stories with kids, play guitar with them, etc. Below is the group beginning the hike in, and 2 girls having brought their baby brother in on horseback to see the nurse in the clinic.

Please pray for "A", a good friend who struggles with mental health. She feels better and then discontinues her meds, and goes into a downward spiral and ends up causing a major crises for her family, as she has taken on the task of raising her son's wee one. Now the family has had to accomodate the care of this baby with 2 others in the extended household. Her daughter works at the hospital, and has not been able to come to work because of the additional burdens falling on her.

Got off to a quick start yesterday with a call from the nurses, saying our friend Juana was having an emergency and needed us! John has followed her VERY diligently, as she is a gravida 9 and overdue. We have had her to the city twice now, and each time they send her back! Luckily I had arisen early and had already walked and showered, was ready for work right after 6. So only had to comb my wet hair and run. John had not even showered yet. We assumed she was close to delivery in her home, so hiked up the steep red dirt hill to her house and found her still the same as the day previous but in obvious labor. With some encouragement from us and her husband, she got down the hill to the truck and we got here to the hospital where the fetal monitor (bless you, Tulsa Bible church!) showed good baby response and we prepared to drive her again to the city so as to have the option of a c-section.

Only while she was showering, a pickup pulled up to the back door and unloaded another laboring woman from the bed, carrying her in on a cot mattress. Her story was that her water had broken several hours earlier and she couldn't deliver. So in she came, putting a halt to our plans to transport Juana temporarily. I had already driven out to Dr. Rene's house to wake her up and ask her to take over John 's Rio Esteban clinic day while we traveled to the city , so we beefed up that call to get her in for the delivery of the other baby! It took over an hour, but a wee one was successfully delivered and the mama cheered for as she rode triumphantly to her room in the wheelchair after delivery.

We were then free to load up Juana and her 19 yr old daughter to go to the city. She was miserable, bumping over those awful ruts for over an hour, but we successfully got her in and admitted, despite the backlog of laboring patients waiting to be tended to. The Lord was surely paving the path ahead of her and us! We heard that she delivered a few hours later, not needing a section if we heard correctly. Finally we will be able to climb the red dirt hill and cuddle this baby, the 9ith girl, instead of just pat the mamma's tummy.

One of our long term visitors, Sue, has taken on the awesome and needful task of doing some hospice-type care for the ministry. Right now, she and Peggy, our wound care person, are visiting little Maribel more than once a week with her increased endcare needs of pain control and getting liquids down, and today added Maria, an open and close case with metastatic cancer. She lives about an hour from here, but Sue is not deterred. Families here are already so strapped with physical demands and poverty that terminal care does not get much emphasis. Sue will be a great blessing, helping to rock these two into eternity.

Was thinking how many people it takes to make our weak efforts successful here. One person who tackled my need to make a mirror image of a diagram for a medical chart page, another who collected baby blankets for "our babies", another who sends me links for patient education materials in spanish, another who got paper for John's fetal monitor, ....the list goes on and on. Thanks to everyone who addresses our spoken and unspoken needs with such love. You all are the "wind beneath our wings", the ones who cheer us on as we "run the race".

Hi ho, hi ho, its up the quebrada we go...

Ending Holy Week, revving up for Resurrection Sunday and a lowkey celebration in our church of the anniversary of the dedication a year ago. Because the clinic was closed Thursday and Friday, we used yesterday to have a Dia del Campo- day in the country. Hm, but we LIVE in the campo! We met for prayer at the church early armed with picks, hoes, shovels, machetes and water. We began our adventure like ducks in a row, using the creek as our path, crossing again and again as we gained a bit of elevation traipsing thru the jungle. They kept talking about the presa, or dam, and I had visions of a large structure to retain the water. Well, it was a concrete wall about 10 ft. long, perhaps 8 inches thick, with a bit of water backed up behind it! It is where we get our water for the church- not that we have running water, but its a source to fill barrels with to flush a toilet, no more. We got to work scooping out leaves and clearing a blockage of the primitive filter they had over the tube that carries water above ground to us below. It frequently needs repairing as the cows use the creek and stomp on the flexible tubing. Mission accomplished, we enjoyed fellowship as we came back down, wet, dirty, with tiny ticks on us.

Emily is the 9 month old daughter of one of the young women I bible study with weekly. It was fun to catch up with her development this week, reestablish ties with the mom, and begin challenging her to grow again. This face shows totally joy in living, don't you think?

John finally has his bike on the stationary trainer out on his new patio, overlooking the jungle. The other AM was like we were on a Monkey Highway, with Fruit Loop birds thrown in for color. The whitefaced monkeys were ascending the canopy, jumping one at a time from the trees to a huge manaca palm, bending the frond way back and scampering up that frond to the middle of the giant plant and jumping to the next tree. Was like a monkey parade. The toucans added a colorful touch. Makes biking fun!

One of my visits since arriving back was to a young Garifuna friend who has married and become pregnant since I left for the US. Was delightful to see her in her new role, knowing her husband had thought it best for her not to work while pregnant and would not be seeing her around the hospital. She has been biblestudying with a group of 15 or so Catholic women, single, near her home. She is one that has agreed to be trained in using the Proclaimer to share the Garifuna Bible with a listening group in her home. We will be having Faith Comes By Hearing come out here in a week or so to do that training, and they will equip several with this machine that is solar powered and handcranked to listen to the Word in their own language. While visiting, my friend introduced us to the fine and complicated art of making casava ( is that "a" or "i"?), a flat, tortilla type bread from the yucca root. My friend Ritza from the hospital, also Garifuna , bravely took a turn at making a round! I volunteered to just take the fotos.

Had the opportunity to visit with a 7 yr old girl who lives about half an hour from here who has been a patient in the clinic since I left, diagnosed with a skin cancer that has destroyed her face totally, kind of like leprosy. She knows the Lord, has a limited number of days left, and it was decided while she was with us in wound care this week that we would begin home visits instead of her making the painful and embarrassing trip to the hospital for help weekly. Pray for this 26# emaciated child, that somehow she might find joy in the journey, and that those that care for her and her grieving parents might have wisdom in all ways. Lord, imprint on Marbeli's heart that despite this disease, she is "fearfully and wonderfully made" and that her days were written in Your books even before the beginning of time.

May your heart be touched by the things that touch the heart of God.

Meti' la Pata

Last Sunday was Father' Day here in Honduras. A day or so later an emotionally challenging patient left a "Happy Father's Day" message on my telephone. As you can guess, it was a bright spot in my day.

"Meti la Pata" is the Honduran equivalent of "Open mouth, insert foot" This past week I had my second serious awareness of doing so, here in Honduras. The first time, a couple of years ago, was in front of a good natured and patient Honduran physician colleague. This time, only Xiomara , my office helper, and I got to enjoy my embarrassment. I say "embarrassment" for perhaps lack of a better term. More precisely, getting to enjoy the sometimes not so gentle, but timely teaching of the LORD.

During a busy morning in Rio Estaban (a rural village clinic) I felt compelled to explain to a happy and "air headed" 35 year old patient that her second pregnancy (her only other was 15 years ago) was "High "Risk". In my attempt to emphasize the potential hazards, I described a (hypothetical) 40 year old woman with her first pregnancy and the elements of risk.

If you haven't guessed it yet, the next lady was 43 years old with her first pregnancy. She was not dismayed. Her uterus was twice normal size with uterine fibroids. Neither did her weight, borderline high blood pressure and blood sugar seem to discourage her.

Vamos a ver. ("We will see".) As she comes to mind, please join us in prayer for "Aurora Lalin" as we pray and walk with her thru this new adventure in her life.

Gracias y Dios les Bendiga,

John