Whew

I am tired. We did our last eye brigade today with this group. I am not big on total numbers of people seen...and as much as it is tempting to put the number here, the more important aspect is how we did it, why we did it, and for whom and to whom. Christ was glorified...through what was done, and in the fact that despite our dwendling glasses supply, people who needed to see, saw (and I presume continue seeing.)

Then we got back to the clinic and had to leave the group to do month ending banking (along with everyone else in line) and while there at the bank line (inside the grocery store) we saw Oscar, who got back in last night...delayed in coming back because of Nadir's illness (their son). Hopefully I will get to meet with Oscar tomorrow to go over all the mountain of stuff for him to do, for me to do...and for us to do together.

How will I meet with Oscar with the group here? The clinic is closed due to a holiday tomorrow (worker's day) and so Valerie can actually go with the group to the hospital and do the milk project, which will be a welcome change for her and for me, which in addition to talking to Oscar will be home with the kids and running some errands (to the few businesses open tomorrow.)

Here are some more pictures for you (incorrectly placed on the page even after ten attempts to correct them...thanks to blogspot for creating such a userfriendly system on the picture posting):

In general if any of these happen during your presence at an eye brigade, you know you could potentially have problems:

1. You never want to hear "interesting!"

2. You never want your doctors talking amongst themselves

3. If they are talking amongst themselves, you do not want them reading anything...especially "The Wills Eye Manual."

4. If more than two doctors look at you...start praying.

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Here is Valerie doing her thing. She does everything from being the last person to take those peeks into eyes that are hard for others to make sense of, translate, explain about surgery options here (and when they are not needed even when other doctors here say they are, for reasons other than good care of their patients) and referrals for the especially tough cases (+4.00 - 8.00 jumps to mind) to the clinic in Tegucigalpa. She is constantly busy these days, and God continues to bless her with the stamina to keep going.

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Here we have Cecilia...so proud about her new missing tooth. She quickly got over the fact that the tooth fairy did not get her anything...and then Valerie magically produced some gift from said fairy. I of course opined about the existance of such a woman....to no avail. I did however ask Soren if he believed in the tooth fairy, and I got the very young four year old male answer "Nooooo! That is for girls!" Nothing like having the right answer for the wrong reasons.

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Cecilia fancies herself a photographer. She would love to have her own camera. As tempting as such an idea is, I do not see it happening any time soon, but she does get a hold of mine sometimes for some interesting snap shots. Here is Soren looking off camera while posing with his buddy Scout ready for school this morning. I will spare you the pictures she took of the Hannah Montana jigsaw puzzle. Try to contain your disappointment.

Brigades continue

Yesterday the brigade in Danli....they were very happy to have us there. Wow....buying us lunch (a great, fabulous lunch....either chicken breast or fish fillet) and having quite a few people with visual needs for us to see. It was the first time for us to do any work in Danli, and it is a very interesting town at least from what we saw in just that day. The handout that they gave people before coming in was most interesting...asking them to cooperate, create order, and be thankful for the glasses they received, which was a first for me to see.

Today we were in Guyamaca, at the Baptist hospital there. They do medical, dental and more there...but nothing eye related. It turns out the 100 we promised to see....turned into 160. The group really just gels so well, communicates so well, and works so well, that we were able to do that and still make it back to Teguc before dark. Having the Orr family and some of the staff from the hospital to help in a few important areas helped a ton as well.

It is difficult for so many of us to contemplate what it means to people to be able to see again....to be able to read, to see someone whose face as it actually exists you have not seen in quite some time...or ever, and just being able to help with the huge problems with dry eye and allergies here. To just stop and think when someone says "I just want to read again" after months or years....just imagine not being able to read this blog, to surf the internet, to read your Bible.

Our pictures here are of two patients...Mom just asked me to snap a picture of her cute daughter (plus I got to hold her while mom got glasses) and this mature gentleman...perhaps he was 91? I am not quite sure...but I do remember that his prescription came in...."as much + as you can give him." We compared our most powerful Rx we had (to simplify things....a +14) and he could see better than how he came in (with very old glasses...nose pads completely gone...not even the posts where they were originally attached) and he had a very big smile. There were quite a few smiles, thanks, hand shakes (despite the big swine flu warnings going on here) and hugs given.

Plus I had time to get a medical consult from Dr. Denis...my back is still out of whack somewhat, but to fix my other ailments, it looks like I will be taking three different meds. At least I can hopefully start recovering, not that I am suffering greatly.....after all, I can still read.

Eye brigade #1...La Venta

I did not know exactly where we were going today. I knew Celeo had set something up for us, close to Talanga, but not in Talanga. Long story short, we visited a community where one of the CHE seminar participants is from, that has known Celeo for a while, but where we have never worked before.

It was obvious they were eager to have us...from the help the Church gave us in terms of people, setting things up, getting things organized, etc. Especially considering there are supposedly only 300-400 people living there (an off the cuff estimate by Celeo and others) and we had something above 100 patients to see.

Every person has their own story, every patient too. Some impact more than others with different people in different ways. It was so right to see people giving God the credit for what was done....helping a 9 year old read again (that is, without totally jamming the paper into his face) a woman in her thirties for the first time ever get glasses and be able to see the writing on the wall...from more than a few inches away. I met a 99 year old. I asked to see his ID (I was joking) one of his younger daughters was 61. Then I in effect called the 82 year old next to him a whipper snapper. We saw all the "normal" here....cataracts well advanced, pterygiums, allergy, dry-eye, unusual or botched surgeries, as well as screening the school children that were still there getting classes (not cancelling just because we showed up....which we applauded.)

I have to admit a weakness. A questioning. An incorrect line of thinking entering my brain. I was watching an eight year old girl struggle to read and see through old glasses. She was not seeing well, it was obvious, and moving her head, adjusting her glasses, etc. did not help. Why? What purpose is there in this little girl suffering so? Not to mention the teasing, struggles in learning, etc. I was sad...because I only was thinking about what I could see. Where was my faith in the promises we have been given about God, about his rule over all things? I tried to encourage her aftewwards, and God used her to encourage me in what I already knew to be true, but sometimes forget where my head is and instead just stare at what I see. There were many people today that helped us to understand what you see is not always what you get. Especially as we left and they prayed to God for us...not just for us, but for Him using us in different places and different ways. It was a day that it would take me hours to put a finer point on it, so instead I will just say...it was refreshing.

The continuing political game here of what change is coming down the pike is hard to keep up with on a day to day basis. It seems clear that the president has something up his sleeve. Just exactly what....no one seems to fired up to have made clear (the next Hugo Chavez...or just setting that up for the next guy....or just wanting to change the national anthem to only two or three verses.) I suppose I should be concerned. Nah, that would not do any good. So I pray instead. If you want to input the address into the google translator (or read it in Spanish) to read a little more on the subject, here you go: http://www.elheraldo.hn/Ediciones/2009/04/25/Noticias/Mel-confiesa-que-el-objetivo-es-cambiar-la-forma-de-gobierno/(offset)/10#comentarios

Update

While I type unrelated stuff and updates below, I thought I would treat you to just a few of the plants blooming around the property where we live. I do not often take time to appreciate just how much flora and fauna there is around us (especially because all that stuff also attracts bees, mosquitoes, ants, and the occasional cockroach) but I was somehow inspired as I walked down the driveway yesterday. Keep in mind...you could probably take another fifty pictures or more with the other plants around here, this is just a small sample. Enjoy as you read....or when you are done reading or before...I doubt you can read and enjoy the pictures at the same time.
I talked to Oscar this morning. Even without a driver's license, he is returning to Honduras tomorrow...I should say, beginning his trip back to Honduras tomorrow. Border crossings will no doubt be more interesting with a new passport, no residency card, and only some flimsy piece of paper saying he used to have a driver's license here. Usually it takes two days to get here...it could be three or more depending on how long he is kept at the borders (he said getting back from Panama to Costa Rica took half a day.)
Valerie is leaving this afternoon for La Tigra, a national park that is in the mountains surrounding Tegucigalpa (up from the Christ statue for those of you that know a little but not a lot about Tegucigalpa and its surroundings. She is going as part of the women's Bible study she attends, it is a retreat they are doing up there. Pray for her to have time to relax and enjoy it....she will need it, as we have a group arriving Sunday (I will pick them up...she will get back a bit after they get here) and since it is an eye brigade group, that means tons of extra work (that she loves of course) for her. The mere thought of her having to drive completely deflated her (That is when she marvels a bit at how Oscar and I do it time after time...after time) so I think we are going to try doing it in just one vehicle, but still overseeing all that plus the kids, who will be in exams at school next week...perfect timing, we are still figuring out how to get them home with both of us gone four days next week...and of course still keeping track of the clinic in her absence Whew.
The septic tank at the clinic is nearing its full point...but cleaning it out has been quoted to me twice....once for $476 which I scoffed at....and then through the public water company at...$508. So, with Oscar's imminent return, we will wait and see if he can find something cheaper, as well as get with the Church on where we have permission to dig the second tank which will hopefully filter. If only we had known from the get go....what we really dug was apparently a fairly weather proof pool and did not even know it.

I could not resist to take these pictures of the kids ID cards for school. I do not recall ever having need for such a thing, much less so official that they had to be laminated, which we had to do of course...Valerie is becoming an expert at using contact paper with all the stuff they need "laminated" for school. Cecilia's look does not surprise me too much, and neither does Soren's, but it is just one more sign of how different their personalities are. By the way...it may not look it, but Soren was likely asked to smile, and in his mind...he is.


Now I am still praying for my back, which has kept me from doing pretty much anything physical for almost three weeks. The worst part is not being able to run...I can almost feel my energy being sapped and missing the release and spiritual time through the sermons I listen to while I run. Hopefully I can get back out on the road in another week or two.

While talking about prayer....continue to pray for Honduras. I trust in God, not man. However, the situation here is either troubling at the least, or if you believe many people here, it is downright disturbing. Our president continues to push for a constitutional reform or a new one altogether, and now they are pushing for a fifteenth month of salaries for all workers. Some of you know that there are already two months of the year where employers are required to pay double (a 13th and 14th month) and now comes 15th, which seemingly overnight is now apparently a done deal. Conflicts on how to implement this (congress wanting to use government funds to help do this, in a seemingly foolhardy way to shoot the government squarely in the foot, the President only supporting it if the employers pay it...and many different prognosticators all saying the result would be to drive away even more jobs and cause even further economic havoc in an already bad situation. Many still believe that the president is using this constitutional reform to stay in power, a la Hugo Chavez. Some even say the whole thing is being financed and supported by ol' Hugo. I was personally told yesterday by someone I trust, someone who is more in the know than I am by a far cry, who still might be just a bit of an alarmist, to be aware that cracking down on Churches, clinics, missions, etc. was coming down the pike. It is said often today, "these are uncertain times in which we live." It is true...but I believe that could be said any day, of any year, of any century for those not in Christ. What events will happen, yes are uncertain...but my future is certain. So I pray for this country...for this world, but I do not fret or worry (like it would do any good...Luke 12:25-26) because I know the One in charge of it all, no matter how frantic and chaotic it might look around us.

Thought provoking

No sooner were Valerie and I talking about the seeming hypocrasy of worrying about personal rest in light of what God has us doing and has graced us with to do, I received the following from Pastor Jeff Evans. Feel free to check out his "thought for the week" blog at: http://www.thoughtfortheweek-jeff.blogspot.com/ It is a very interesting blog...not so much because I think we have been thoughtlessly busy bees without direction, although surely we are all susceptible to that in one way or another...but I have heard many preachers preach such a message...."you have to be moving for God to use you, you have to get out there and start with a plan and then God can mold or move you" and the fallacy that a ministry is our own, or what "we" do, when in fact we can do NO good (Biblical good...not some esoteric idea of what is good) apart from Him.


This weeks "thought" comes from an article entitled "Entering God's Rest," by Marc Brisebois. It was of help to me when I first read it years ago. I trust it could be of help to some of you as well. Enjoy.

"The fact that the world around us worships productivity makes the subject of rest a little thorny. The natural man functions from the premise that more effort generally means more productivity, and more time at work means the same... This principle of busyness is the catalyst for a great deal of "Christian" activity today. We like to be "doing" because it makes us feel like we have purpose. This activity is not to be confused with fruitfulness, however; and since it is our desire to be fruitful, we must look for something more effective than mere busyness. This search may require us to bring our present state of clamor to a halt. Unfortunately, stopping is very difficult for most to do, and makes others very nervous. We are often advised to keep moving, as it is easier for God to steer a moving vehicle than one which is at a standstill. This is a sound principle in physics, but there is no precedence in Scripture...
Likening the Christian to a sailboat would do more justice to the biblical principles we seek to live by. The believers responsibility, when it comes to handling the holy plans of the Lord, is to put up the sail and catch the wind of the Spirit, not provide the strength of propulsion...
Most of us prefer self-propulsion since we have neither the faith nor the patience to appreciate God's timing... The needless toil we often put ourselves through as the result of anxious fretting will usually have us doing much unnecessary labor. This steals our capacity to rest and be prepared for the labor to which we have been called...
The writer of Hebrews tells us there is a promise of rest which we may fail to enter because of unbelief (Heb. 3:19)... Working in our own strength can be very gratifying in the short-term but tends to cause burnout over the long haul... In the midst of this toil, the Father may try to speak to us. Unfortunately our fretful anxiety will deafen us to His voice. During this time the Lord patiently waits for our own strength to run out. Then, and often only then, can He begin to teach us about rest. Unbelief (the inability to trust God) requires vast amounts of human effort, ingenuity and resources. Faith, in order to produce requires only obedience, for when we labor in faith and obedience, we labor in the strength God provides."

It hints of the paradox of faith Isaiah had learned long ago when he prayed to the Lord on behalf of the people: "All that we have accomplished you have done for us." And again, four chapters later, God confirmed it. The people of Israel were frantically scurrying around seeking to avert disaster by all their efforts when He spoke to them and said: "In repentance and rest is your salvation; in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." (Is. 30:15)
True believers learn it soon: The real source of fruitful and restful productivity is to move in the power of God where and when He is moving and bathe it all in prayer.
Luther put it well when he shared the secret of his fruitful productivity with a friend: "I have so much to do today I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."

Time out

I am sitting here Monday afternoon with plenty to do, papers surrounding my workspace that at least in my mind are pleading for my attention...needing my attention...and they will be satisfied, but it just seemed like a good moment to stop and blog....catharsis if you will for the mind.

We had a good table talk get together on Saturday afternoon, in a neighborhood Valerie and the kids had never been able to see before...a gated community overlooking the reservoir, about five minutes from where we currently live. It is bizarre to see the reservoir, let alone streets with no trash, no problems, and beautiful flowers, great houses, and apparent security to the point that several homes have no walls or gates, not to mention the big cage for macaws and monkeys. The whole scene is so pretty...and so odd to see here, not to mention after I looked up some houses for sale on the internet...expensive.

Today I was doing several things at once. Thanks to my bad back, I could not help the guys load the clothes in the truck...nor unload, so I was able to be on the phone trying to work out sites for the eye brigades we will be doing next week, trying to get someone to drain the new clinic septic tank (almost full in less than a month means we will be digging a new tank in the next month)....especially less than the $500 the first place quoted me. My only hope to avoid paying that is through...gulp...the government water program here. We shall see.

Between email, heading out to do that plus check in with Dora and distribute some more donated stuff, a Skype meeting, and paperwork business (like...monthly paperwork, paying staff, clothing ministry, etc.) I have not stopped to eat all day. I probably should be doing that.

Valerie and I actually talked yesterday after a few seemingly unrelated events about how we really should be doing a better job taking care of ourselves as it pertains to...everything, but specifically as a couple, family, and people given charge to direct the mission's work. I realize it is important, and while my upbringing (more in work environments than something I was taught) teaches me to work until you are done...or until you can do no more, I am gathering that is not always best for the long term.

I am so happy, so grateful, so driven...that I want to keep going! But sometimes we all "acquire" those blinders that focus us, or limit us, and while our objective might be righteous...it does not mean we can ignore what is around us that also needs our attention. I repent of wearing those blinders...and not that I am now reformed, but still wince as I type this, still needing to find that balance.

Kind of like today. The smog was bad...kind of still is, although I do believe the planes were able to land, or at least most of them. Just because I can not see what lies beyond the smog does not mean it is no longer there. What I could see was great, but my view does not necessarily represent what is actually best. I thought about that as I stood there seeing a great grayish whiteness in front of me. Knowing what it is, it looks bad. But just looking and not knowing...it almost looks pretty.

Keep praying for Valerie...she does so much for so many, it is beyond me. She will get to go on a women's retreat this weekend before the group arrives, we pray it is one of refreshment physically and encouragement spiritually.

Let us get right down to story telling with pictures, shall we?

First up, is Tuesday and the air show. It was Pan-American Day (may have something to do with the summit going on in Mexico? I am not sure about that one...but it is a Pan-American summit, so who knows.) I was working, the kids were playing, and we started to hear the planes, and sure enough, across the way from the airport they were doing the show. We did not know that everyone was invited, but by that time it was too late, so we just enjoyed the show of the seven prop planes do there thing in a blue angels/thunderbirds style, just right over our heads. It did occur to me that our vehicle insurance probably did not cover a falling airplane crash, and then I remembered we have no renter's insurance for where we are living. But like the planes, the moment passed.



Soren slept from 4:00 yesterday until this morning. This picture probably helps explain why, but not how. He was running at school (all cement there doncha know) and fell...we are not sure if he used his hands to help stop himself or not...but his face took a big hit. I am so glad I was not there to see it. Seeing the aftermath is bad enough....seeing him actually do it in front of me...makes me quiver just thinking about it. He was fine and ready to go today to school....and got some attractive white paste applied by the school nurse.




Next we have Carlos' project for the last week or so, installing and painting the border around the outside of the doors in the clinic. I believe we are going to be able to skip installing on the insides, since most of them are better finished and set up a little differently. We have kept him working even though Oscar is gone for support for Valerie in case anything were to go wrong, to keep things going, and to keep him working as well, since he would have had to have looked for work elsewhere by now otherwise.







Amongst the other projects he has been doing were six that were must-dos (great thing he was there eh?) Starting with the picture seen here, we had problems with kids climbing on the AC protectors to get to the second floor to generally cause mischief. So, we bought some serpentine wire, and that was the result...so far, no more kids climbing. The other projects were getting Camilo's X-ray machine installed on the wall in his room (harder than it sounds...oh wait, no, it probably sounds tough already), running another water line to the patient bathroom for better pressure, installing another light switch in Valerie's room, checking our septic tank status (not good, we have to clean it out, and start digging another for the future, what fun!) installing and then uninstalling some of the night lighting outside. Uninstalling two that were to low to the ground hanging off the building...until we can get something welded for them to be higher off the ground (remember those kids?)



So, some people wondered what Dora would be doing when groups were not here. She has gotten her family in the act helping on the grounds care (brother living with her not doing anything...kids helping watch baby there so she can breast feed) sweeping, cleaning weeds and such, as well as cleaning and doing upkeep on the mission house and man cave. In addition, Valerie gave her some work sorting glasses for an upcoming eye brigade, and I gave her work boxing up shoes we got in the last shipment that for some reason came in bags instead of boxes. She has been working hard, no doubt there.









Dilcia was cooking flour tortillas for lunch for the kids today. Many people might not see the advantage of a flat top stove like that...but Dilcia finds they work great for cooking tortillas right on top. Cecilia was helping her roll them out a little. Notice how the cooking area is almost perfect sized for tortillas? Perhaps some engineer had this in mind after all. Regardless, much better to have flour tortillas cooking that corn, at least for me. Nothing quite like homemade flour tortillas.




After lunch, the kids hit the books. Since I was working upstairs, she helps them get through their home work before playing enjoying the pool, etc. Keeping them both on task is a big job. Dilcia pretty much does not stop moving from the time she gets here until the time she leaves. What a blessing to have her here to free both of us parents up to more of the ministry work we have to do. Plus, I am still here when groups are not here, so I still get to see them, talk to them....occasionally discipline them, etc. even while I am working.








Cecilia needed an erase board (so it was deemed) to better practice her letters, and pronunciation homework. Dilcia helped her change the standard fare in her book to personalize it for our family. She was so proud of how she did, she brought it up for me to see. I only now at the end of writing this realize I probably should translate that stuff for some of you.
"Cecilia loves Felipe
Valeria loves Soren
Valeria and Felipe work
Cecilia and Soren love mom"

Activity

There is so much going on in the expansive ministry of His Eyes that I do not even hear of on a daily basis. We have reports that everyone is supposed to fill out every month, but even those do not catch everything, and I mean all this in a good way.

I caught wind....Saturday will bring baptisms in San Juancito, and Sunday is Celeo's last day there. Saturday and Sunday the Church in Sampedrana will also be celebrating...their second anniversary. I already have comitments this weekend, so I will only be seeing just brief glimpses of both those celebrations.

Valerie told me last night of the clinic staff fasting this morning...almost as an after thought as it had to do with getting Marlen (she broke her foot on Saturday...until Valerie took her crutches, she was crawling or rolling around her house.) "Fasting?" I said. "What reason?" "Oh, for donations of medicines, for any personality conflicts amongst us, and for the relationship between the Church and the cilnic." This is not some directive, something the mission has made a priority....each of these three things are singular examples of people taking what God has called them to seriously, and pursuing them with passion.

I suppose sometimes I do things like that...but generally you won't find me writing about them here, in the rare occurance whey they might happen. I will share though an example of obeying rules and insisting past what we are just told. I needed to increase the amount of money I could move in our banking over the internet. I was already at the limit that the bank has as a flat rule. Had I taken what the counter people told me...that was it, no more, sorry, take care. But, in love, I pressed. Sometimes you have to know when to give, and when to press. I know that is the rule, but get me someone in charge. Then followed...talking, saying no, more talking, them explaining the rule, my acknowledgement and then explaining why that was not working for me as their customer (while I still was their customer)....I get to a semi-head cheese, explain the situation to her, and the possilbe consequences if they can not help me...and three hours later, I got what I needed....not something free or anything required of them other than changing some numbers on the computer, but it was like pulling teeth. I am sure things like that happen in the US as well, but it seems here you have these "opportunities" more often, and sometimes you have to push just to know...no, it will not be done. Figuring out when and where and how...takes some time.

Back in the saddle

Last week was great...except for my bum back. Not being able to run is what hurts most, everything else is really doable. It was great to have friends here, a rare thing really to have people here for a week and really desire they did not have to go at the end.

This week is back to normal, in as much as there is such a thing for us. Valerie and the kids back at work and school, all three happy with that for sure. Still in the afternoon the kids are especially enjoying the pool...and Soren is very much enjoying discovering my legos that I still have...he spends hours playing with them, and is looking forward to getting some of his own in the future...seeing him build something from instructions instead of doing it himself (I have helped him some as well without trying to get him to do it the way my imagination had me do it as a kid) will be interesting.

I had a very interesting and long time coming meeting with the Church leaders Monday night...four and a half hours long, this after they had a meeting about some of that which they brought to the meeting until midnight the week before. I had little clue about what to expect, but mostly it was stuff that had built up for a long time...questions, comments, anxieties, etc. about the clinic (they see us as "the clinic" since they know and are concerned or involved less with the other aspects of the mission.) It was overall a good meeting...really it was, but I believe that to be God answering prayer on both sides, and especially in my case because I could have felt attacked several times without some maturity, grace, listening, and trying to understand.

It was not all news I wanted to hear for various reasons that have nothing or something to do with us (robbery last week....stole $2,000 worth of equipment there...so new focus is probably going to be finishing the fence around the property (which they want our help), then they will look to the new Church building (where they want our help), the bakery appears to officially be dead, with the future of that endeavor yet to be seen, CHE will not be coming for them, problems with the Sunday Schools rooms falling apart and ways for the clinic to do favorable pricing for the Church membership.) Some good news from the meeting....evangelism ministry continues, and they seem to be taking the clinic on more as a place to do outreach, even with a full plate right now with their Colonia plan of targeting certain areas for work, one at a time for months at a time (most of that possible because of the proceeds they generate from the clothing ministry.)

There is so much more happening that I just do not have space to include, good and bad....both could be in quotes because that is the way we see them, but ultimately we know they will all be for God's good.

More to come probably tonight or tomorrow on different things going on (like video from the air show...it is any good), just wanted to update on that while I could.

Como es Monday cuando es Thursday?

Update for those that follow on facebook....Oscar has not located his stuff yet, probably lost forever. I am not sure he has been able to cancel his credit cards yet either. Update for those not on facebook....Oscar's fanny pack was stolen earlier this week...they got his money, passport, license, and everything else he carries in that packed mini-suitcase. Very disappointing and discouraging as you can imagine (he can not drive!) and the added insult is that he can not replace anything until next week with everything closed for Holy Week there.

Here...things seem to keep jumping. Traffic seems to be down today, but otherwise, there are still quite a few people around Teguc, more than I remember from years past...although to be sure, much less than normal. Many businesses were closed yesterday, and even more today. A good day to relax with friends, catch up on computer work...maybe I could even get talked into a nap. What I can not do is run....still have a major crick in my back. Thankfully it does not hurt constantly, just when I want to move my back in a downward or twisting move...so normal walking is not too bad either. What did I do? I have no clue, but it is a bummer to miss out on the best running days of the year, that is for sure. Given all that...I am very thankful for our health, and really, it is a minor 'complain' in the grand scheme of things. Ah, let us all take some time to thank God for where He has us, since we in Christ now it is always for a greater purpose/reason. I feel better, how about you?

Hip deep in holy

So here we are, just getting Holy Week started, but it seems so long already, in a good way of course.

Sunday we played at Union Christian, then had a good afternoon, I went for a late run...and although we typically think of Holy Week as everyone getting out of Dodge, but Sunday is definitely still people everywhere...probably preparing to get out of Dodge.

Monday Mark and I (did I mention Mark and Susan arrived on Saturday to spend a week with us?) went up to distribute clothing to the stores, check on the new clinic progress (Carlos is working there this week until Wednesday...no buses on Thursday and Friday...and the next few weeks while Oscar is gone to get the door trim put up, X-ray machine mounted, cover the AC units with serpentine wire to prevent the kids from climbing on them to get to the second floor of the clinic and cause general mayhem, install another light switch for Valerie's exam room (and if time allows, even put up the TVs and hang some pictures, bulletin boards, etc. Considering all the steps involved, and that he is only one man...I think the three or more weeks Oscar will be gone he will have plenty to do. We went to get the door trim, and made a trip to the hardware store to make sure he was sufficiently stocked to get him through the next week or two with materials. He had already installed in the last few days of work several of the security lights for around the clinic, and was working yesterday on the bathrooms, installing protective metal trim to our interesting design "wood" doors.

Yesterday afternoon, Mark worked on the security cameras to be installed while I did more paperwork, balancing books, emails, etc. Valerie went with Silvia to visit Doña Albertina, an older lady from the Church who is not doing very well, while Susan visited with Lourdes at her house. Dora was working in the morning at the clinic....and has homework, as we are putting together a more exact recipe list (with exact quantities for ingredients, more recipes, etc.)

Today...more paperwork, more cleaning, some relaxing (Valerie and I both with a crick in our respective backs), meeting our pilot friend who is flying today, and hopefully nothing else noteworthy....although we are contemplating visiting a local sushi restaurant. That might actually be worthy of a note, we will just have to wait and see.

Cruising in Sampedrana

I got a call from Gender today. He was almost giddy from the excitement of the Land Cruiser, from its power, ability to get up the mountain, how it did not feel like it was going to throw him out the window (more stable.) He realized it was a big investment. I told him...we wanted something that will last the Church for 20 years! We comision it into His service, and hope that it will serve the body there for a very long time. Thanks go out again to the two Churches that made this a possibility.

I talked to Oscar today, worked out the plans for the coming weeks with him being gone. Even though I will be doing other stuff, I am going to invest the necessary time to keep Carlos working all three weeks. Plenty to do, and he can be trusted to work those weeks without immediate supervision. He will work all Holy Week, despite the clinic being closed, and then the following weeks...hanging the X-ray machine for Camilo, putting the door trim up, finishing the anchoring of the bathroom divisions, hanging the TVs and pictures for Valerie, being there for all the little things that are still coming up at the new clinic (espeically with Oscar gone) and probably helping us with electricity for the security cameras we will be installing next week. I am sure he will be excited despite working a week where most people are only thinking of "vacation"...work means money, money means food, and a consequence of this whole world financial situation is that those that have little, lose even more. Less jobs, less money, and malnutrition and hunger is more widespread.

Oscar leaves tomorrow. I sent him off with prayer. He will be taking his Land Cruiser (fixing the last piece today.) I also sent him with a list of wood based items to have his brother in law make for us. It is cheap, and I realized he does very good work after what he brought back in August last year. Pray for their travel, and for their time there....that it would be relaxing and edifying, and at the same time strengthen them as a family in the face of what could be pressure or temptation to return there from their families.

stopped up

I knew I had laid off the blog, had not realized it had been since Friday. I had some things to consider after that post, and otherwise was relatively wiped, busy, and tired over the weekend. The group left Saturday, that afternoon I went for parts for the car with Cecilia...which was entertaining, educational, and....scary. I needed to check a part from the car to see if the hardware store had them. Normally I think of myself as being safe, but sometimes laid back. As Cecilia stood outside, in my eye line as I checked the weird bulb...I could feel my tension level rise. She was fine, doing a good job, and having several people to talk to...even drafting one to temporarily help her (the pizza hut girl, and a security guard.) With two very recent kidnappings of kids....taken from their school buses no less (private school of course) it just hit me as these people saw her, talked to her (very innocently) that she could be a tempting target. I said nothing to Valerie....and yet the topic came up yesterday, and we had to talk to the kids about it. Cecilia was inquisitive....Soren basically said every time we mentioned something that he would....allow me to paraphrase "just, strong, and then...pow, whack, get up, mad...and other grunts and fancy karate moves."

This week brought running errands (which never seem to go according to plan...yet without a plan...well, then you are really asking for trouble) and while that might seem easy, to do them right, or sometimes just do them, they can take a very long time here , sending emails, trying to catch up on reports (not yet...on my list though) and some running. Oscar is not back yet tonight....he went today to drop the LC for Sampedrana to Gender. In true April fools fashion, he told Gender to expect a big Dyna flatbed pickup truck. I look forward to getting my camera back I sent with him to see pictures. I went up to the clinic this afternoon to facilitate giving a bunch of boxes to another ministry here (long story), and look for Valerie some desks and other things they need for the clinic (came up with a goose egg), as well as identify some computer supplies for some work to get things even more wired in the clinic.

Speaking of the clinic...it is weird to be in there when there are patients there! They are doing a great job with what is operational, but not fully done of course. There have been struggles to get and keep the water system working, and still no pictures on the walls, no TV/DVD, and other little things, but those will come with time. With Oscar and his family gone for at least three weeks to Panama/CR, the physical work will mostly come to a halt until he gets back, but when he does, we should keep moving quickly to get as much done as possible, and sneak preview for you blog readers...I think I have an idea when we will be starting the second floor (just one room at this point) and it should be in just a few months, which is exciting.