Feb 26- Group 1 of 2007

Hello! I'm alive! It's been a hectic time since i posted last. last week, the first group of the year came from VCOM- 48 in total. it was a great group! very interesting group. in a nutshell we had about 750 patients in four mobile medical brigades, fed 1500 people, 200 dental patients, and cut about 250 heads of hair- a very busy week. the group consisted of 5 physicians, 28 medical students, 1 preacher, and the rest spouses of the first year med students. it was their first time seeing patients. i will write more when i have more energy. they left last night after being extremely complicated since Dulles (DC) airport was closed. the group ended up flying to miami and rented a bus to drive them to blacksburg, virginia. i felt aweful for them! bless their hearts. i am planning to go to el salvador tomorrow to meet up with the second year medical students from the same school. please pray for my safety. love to all. God bless.

feb 15

Another week has past, as hard as it is to believe. I stay really busy, ever realizing that the days just fly by. If am beginning to realize that if you really do love what you’re doing, time doesn’t matter. It’ll fly by. I so wonder what God has planned for me. This life we are given is just so short. Do we really know? How could we? This whole “serving” thing is a way of life. I still find it hard to believe that I am a “missionary.” Missionary? Why that’s supposed to be old couples in the middle of Africa! It’s not. At all. It’s not. It’s amber, laura, nancy, Jennifer, chad, shelley, JB, alley, etc. me? Anyway, I was filling out a form and had to write my position here in Honduras, I wrote medical missionary. It hit me. I need to be a better example here and in the states. I have felt in the past, like I was always in transition. Coming here. Going home. I know I am home here. This is where I need to be. I feel it. I love being at peace.
Now to what’s been happening:
Christian woman magazine article:
I have been writing an article for CW. I will attach a copy soon when I have a stronger internet connection. It has really taken me a long time to write this article. At first, I was told about 1500 word article. Ok. Easy. It wasn’t. I felt like it was finally MY opportunity to speak and share what God has done with my life. Well, I got to 2300 words without a conclusion. Opps! I told them to edit where needed. I pray I don’t offend anyone. I was honest. It saddens me with the loose association to Christianity here. Having a grandparent who was to church, does not make you a Christian. It’s having a personal relationship with Jesus and following his instructions. Well, please pray for this. The issue will come out in May.
Hillsboro brothers’ visit
Butch Stinson, Ethan Huffard, Ryan White, and John Mason were here this past weekend scooping out future outreach/ mission opportunities and sights where the groups will be building next month. They plan to build 15 houses out in Mateo. This is a small community outside the main city that is actually where Amber, the boys, and I will be moving in the summer. More to come…
goody bag
Mom sent a bag down with butch that seemed like it was Christmas, again! I had fun sorting through all the stuff, even though it was mainly things I had asked for! I got a mattress cover. I am hoping it will keep the hole covered and the spring in the mattress that jabs at me every night! What else? Vitamins I bought for the pharmacy here. They were half price at target! She sent me down as a surprise, DVD Pride and Prejudice and work out pants. OHHH, Jeanne, amber and I joined a gym. We go together 3 times a week and whenever on our own! It’s been fun! Can’t really notice a difference- YET! I enjoy having a place to go and feel safe. Walking outside really isn’t an option. It’s been really violent lately here in the city. Lots of murders. They’re all over the papers.
VCOM group coming this weekend
Sat or Sun, the 18th, the first brigade of the year is coming. We are slowing getting ready. It’s a little difficult to do a lot until the group gets here. I plan to go to Pricesmart and buy their lunches tomorrow for next week. Here’s hoping they like PB and J! anyway, VCOM is sending down 51 Doctors and medical students + the 2 here already + clinic doc= 54 doc. How many nurses? Well, me and yadira (nurse’s assistant) ahhhhh!!! Along with about 3 other translators! It should be fun!!! J it I’m not able to write much next week, you’ll know why!
international conference on global health
well, this is a international conference that it’s exciting to be a part of but ended up being canceled yesterday. We will try again next month! Yesterday’s topic was fortifying foods- like rice in a study out of India.
nutrition program- Valentines candy
happy valentine’s day. I bought at the dollar tree before leaving, Nemo valentine’s cards. I bought 2 bags of 3 lbs of hard candy (~$12), chewable vitamins, and baggies to give to each kid in the nutrition program. It costs a total of $20. their faces were so sweet and excited.
clinic/ pt increase- surgeries, cleanings,
the clinic is going well. We’re having more patients come now. We had 45 Monday, 35 yesterday, and 30 today. We did a few small surgeries. They were fun. Lots of ulcers. Lots of rotavirus. Lots of colds.
car/ traffic
well, school started this week for all the public schools. Traffic has been a nightmare. If anyone has been down here, they know how bad traffic is. It is impossible to merge here! It drives me crazy! Not only is traffic crazy but they’re putting in new water line, also! What normally takes about 10 min to go home in the afternoon took almost 1 hour yesterday! It’s a little crazy right now on the roads, so I go to the clinic around 7 and stay until about 7 at night when traffic is better.
living arrangements- Laura’s visit, boys go to school
I am still living with amber and the boys. This past weekend, our friend laura and her finance beto come to visit. They were in town for a document they need for their marriage license stating that they are single. It’s a little crazy that that one piece of paper will cost them $30 each. Ouch! They plan to get married July 21 when the BHCC group will be here. I am so conflicted! If my mother is here, I probably won’t go. Laura is a sweet girl and loves to laugh. Her laugh is contagious! It was nice to see them, again.
free time
what’s that? Between the clinic, church, and gym, I don’t have much time. On Tuesdays, amber and I usually go to the movies- they’re half price! It’s awesome- especially when living on a budget!
budget
Hillsboro has committed to $134/ month to cover my health insurance. So, I am now up to $634/ month. All though, I have only received $134 to date. This can be so fustrating! Please pray that this will take care of itself!

nursing license
no word, yet. Last week, I wrote a letter to the Board of Nursing here in Honduras for a temporary license to work as a volunteer. I have not heard anything. Please say that they respond with yes or I will be coming home or finding a different line of service here.
Beth Moore study- in English!
Thursday nights, after working out, Jeanne, Amber, and I have begun the Daniel study from Beth Moore. I have really enjoyed this series and facilitating it. I pray the others are also. It is open to whomever- but it’s in English due to the DVDs being in English. Jeanne, who we proudly call our Honduran mama, gave flowers to Amber and I today for Valentines! She’s the best! She calls us her Honduran daughters! She is such a blessing to my life!
English classes- April and May
The Damas de Baxter, a club I have joined (L100/ year), has asked if Gloria Perez, Amber, and I teach English classes. This is a fundraiser idea for the Damas. Our goal this year is to raise enough money to remodel a warehouse on campus that is about to fall in. they want to make it into a vocational school. So often, preachers need to be able to support themselves and need to know a trait like plumbing, electric work, etc. the damas want to raise $6000 this year. That’s a really high goal! I hope they can make it.

Well, now that I have written yet another book. I do so hope that this posting find all well. Once the connection improves, I will try to post pictures. Love to all. God bless.

Week 3

hola, everyone! hope this blog find you well. sorry i haven't been very good about keeping the blog up. internet is very unreliable here and it takes forever to publish a post. since so much has been going on, i am going to put headings:
1. VCOM:
Virginia college of osteopathic medicine sends down med students to the clinic each month for the whole month. when i came, lucy and margaret were here. they were complete opposites and had a rough month being here during the break of classes. when it's vacation time at baxter, it's hard to get anything done because no one is around to sign checks. melissa and katie have been here for 2 weeks. their spanish is great, and i haven't had a lot to do for them.
2. clinic:
the clinic is still standing. after starting in a rough spot (see above), with no paper, pens, light, etc. things are slowly turning around. the nutrition program came this week for their quarterly evaluations. it was fun to see all the children running around. we haven't had many patients lately. i have asked a few patients where everyone is, and they respond with "it's cold in the morning." ok, really? it feels great to me. nighttime has been around 60 and in the hottest time in the afternoon, around 85. craziness.
3. nursing license:
i have applied for a honduran nursing license. please pray that i will be approved and can work. all i had to do was get a copy of my diploma from Belmont, TN nurses' license, CCRP certificate, passport and write a letter explaining that i am NOT taking a job away from a local.
4. fundraising:
not going well. i am for sure up to $600/ month. my budget was $1700. ouch. please pray that funding will come. this year is a little different since i will not be working for the part of the year prior to coming down to honduras. i have always been way more self supported but am unable to be this year.
5. living:
i am living with amber foster from missiouri. she's been such an awesome friend to me. we laugh a lot, vent to each other, advise one another. she even stayed up the night i foudn out that granddaddy died and just sat with me.
6. truck:
my truck that was "totaled" on Dec 10 has made it to the repair shop. i'm not sure how 'totaled' means they can fix it. but they're trying. it literally looked like someone completely took off the entire right side of the car and placed the engine inside the cabin. the clinic has graciously given me the small white truck to use while waiting for mine to be ready. the poor truck has no locks and can start the car without a key. i am so peronoid that it is going to be stolen. also, being a standard, the parking break is vital. vital. well, it doesn't work, either. it's a little difficult. i have rocks in the back of it that i throw down in front of the wheels. please pray for my safety. oh, saturday, God saved me. literally, it was a miracle. the car started rolling back and i was walking behind it. it hit me and my shoes went flying off. the next thing i knew, i was in the cabin of the car, slaming on the brakes stopping it before hitting the new pathfinder on the street. i was so shaken up. i can anxiously waiting for my truck to be ready.
7. El Prado
well, i join a gym. it's way more than i need to be speading a month ($40) but so worth it. jeanne, amber, and i joined together as a "family." we got permission...if 3 people sign up together you can join as a family and get a better rate. so far, we have swam, biked, walked, run, taken exercise ball aerobics class, and aerobic dance class. i truly amber and i laugh the entire time. i can not move my body like they can. i ended up running in place most of the time. mechelle, tell trent that i'm going to be ready for him!
8. i bought a cabinets for my room. i no longer live out of a siutcase! it's wonderful. now, i am saving up for a mattress.
well, i feel like i have written a book. i do hope things are going well for each and all. i need to head home since it is the night of the week that i have the house to myself! God bless.