Jose can you see more clearly with number one or number two? "Uh, three"

So we had a visitor this past weekend. Mr. Mark came with goodies, both for the mission, for the clinic (new optometry projector), for the milk project (books) and some goodies for us as well. It was a quick visit but very good...especially since he is the board president for the mission. It was very cathartic and good to just have time to talk to someone about all the things that come up on what is sometimes a daily basis here.

Monday was a holiday (May Day is celebrated for most of the world as Labor Day...we just took Monday off for the clinic since May 1st fell on Saturday.) However, it was not a holiday for me. I met with Oscar and the pastors about a variety of subjects (they come every Monday for clothing for the clothing ministry) including shifting our property purchase emphasis from Cantaranas to the right now more urgent Talanga. As you can see, we use only the finest offices for our meetings. Celeo was not being provocative...it was just a tad bit warm in the man cave.

We also had some time to meet with the Teguc pastors about the building contract and the search for buses. Unfortunately timely...since the bus was out on Sunday, something with the axle. We are just praying it can soldier on until the replacements can be found. It has certainly been a model of serving beyond what many thought would be possible given the circumstances...and burdens put on it (weight...too many people want to come to Church.)

My last day of filling in for Valerie was today. I took a while getting started trying to get the new projector calibrated so that looking at 20/20 was actually 20/20. It was challenging with all the pieces needed to move, tighten and then recheck until it was right...but finally I was done and ready for six patients...included in those six were two gentlemen in for their first eye exam ever. One was a 77 year old, the gentleman pictured here 86. I thought his cataracts might be bad from just looking at him...but despite being finger count at less than 6' when we started, he was at least 20/80 with refraction. Now we just have to get his spectacles, the lenses for which will come from another mission (www.godseyes.biz) that helps us with those that could not afford glasses otherwise. Especially in this case because Jose's prescription...his first ever mind you, was -4.25 -2.00.

(keep in mind...in the picture, he is just trying on a frame, and with his current vision...probably had no clue I was taking his picture. Sometimes I really wonder how people make their way to the exam chair...let alone walk home here...alone as Jose was.)

I want to keep stopping by the clinic on a more regular basis now, to keep in the groove...so to speak, and keep learning as well....just not quite this much every week.

While stopping at the mall on Saturday for some errands...Cecilia wanted to stop to watch the models on the catwalk. So, in a somewhat good-dad moment, we waited while she watched...and I snapped some pictures. She was mostly waiting for the three girls she saw that were princesses (they had tiaras on, enough in her book) but after a good ten minutes or more...she lost out and Soren won as we left. But I did think to myself at some point...as if I did not have enough proof that the environment in which my children are growing up is much different than I experienced...we watched models on a catwalk at the mall...not something I had ever seen growing up...or until that moment actually.

If you are actually still reading this, then you are hard core enough to get a behind the scenes treat: I have been working on the mission's website...making some major changes. It has not been publically announced yet, but there is a place where you can check it out now and give me some feedback if you like: www.hiseyes.us/wix.html

It is still a bit rough around the edges, and missing a few pictures, but this is the general idea. If you catch any spelling/grammar mistakes, let me know (I already caught one just glancing...so I am sure there are a couple more in there somewhere.)