Nicaragua Part 2

 We started our clinics on Sunday after church.  We saw patients on Sunday afternoon, all day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning.  It was truly the hardest work I have ever done.  Dr. White gave us a "mini medical school" course one afternoon, and from that point on, we all (me, Cindy, Dana, Vikki, and Jeremy) were "doctors".  We had our own medical stations and saw patients and wrote prescriptions to be filled in our pharmacy.  It was SO exciting to get to use assessment skills that I don't normally get to use.  I learned SO much about so many conditions.  I saw lots of things that I had never seen before, dressed some cool wounds, and heard a lot of stories.  I've never in my life known so many people with "burning pee".  The area we were in had extremely bad water and the population had rampant kidney disease.

Of course, the real reason we were there was to share the gospel.  To be honest, this was incredibly hard for me.  Speaking through an interpreter is difficult, but trying to have a very personal conversation about your relationship, or lack there of, with God through an interpreter was downright difficult for me.  After stumbling through some awkward conversations the first day, I prayed a lot that night, and came up with some general questions that could lead me into the conversation.  My interpreter got comfortable with that, and from that point on it was easier.  I also decided that no matter what, I would pray with every single person that came to my station.  Needless to say, I prayed with hundreds of people before the week was over.  I just kept asking God to use my words to touch someone, even while I was stumbling over them.

One day a young girl came to my station, and I could just tell that she was longing for more information about how to know God, but her baby was crying and she was kept getting distracted.  Jake Watts (on a side note...what an amazing guy!) had told us that if we felt like someone needed more "attention" to find him and he would try to talk with them.  So, I sent Jake to follow her over to the eyeglass station.  About 30 minutes later, Jake was making an announcement that the young mom had accepted Christ!  That was definitely a highlight for me!!

Monday was probably the longest and hardest day of my life.  We saw over 400 patients that day.  I was SO hot, SO hungry, SO tired, SO mentally exhausted, I just didn't think I could go on.  But, the patients just kept coming.  After 13 hours of clinic, we finally finished.  I have never felt SO gross, and so utterly exhausted.  I might have had a little mental breakdown that night:)  But, I woke up the next morning feeling better, and ready to do it all over again.  We saw over 1500 patients during the week.  Pretty amazing!!

I have a lot of random pictures.  I didn't carry my camera at all, so they are just iPhone pics or pics that I stole from Facebook.

This is a lady carrying a load on her head, as we drove to clinic one morning.

 This was the addition to Pastor Lenny's church.  The last time I was in Nicaragua we painted the main building.  It was exciting to see an addition to house their children's program.

 This was a mural painted on the wall in the new addition.  It was dark, so the picture is bad.

 This is Erica, my most amazing interpreter!!  I couldn't have done anything without her.  I can't even say 1 word in Spanish, so she was truly my voice.  I got to know her well during our short time together.

 This was out behind a church where we had our "lunch" one day. 

 Relaxing for a brief minute, before we had to get back to it!

 These were some boys playing marbles in their yard next to a church where we had a clinic one day.

 This was my medical station for one day.

 This was Sherry and Teresa's dental station one day.

 The pharmacy, ready to go!

 Our waiting area, before we started letting patients in.

 Vikki and Jeremy getting their station set up.

 Ready to let the patients in!

 Sweet Sarah dipping pee.  Everyone's favorite job:)

 A cow walking really close to the van on our way home one afternoon.

 All of the following pictures I borrowed from other people on Facebook.  I want to remember exactly what I was doing!!

 My little battery powered fan was a life saver one day in a concrete block building with ZERO circulation!

 This was a severely disabled man whose mother brought him in.  I was very sick and I was SO glad that we could give him the antibiotics that he needed.

 This woman had a nasty pressure ulcer.  I love this pic!  Applying my first Una Boot with Jordan's assistance!

 Lots of little guys and girls that didn't feel good:(

 Sweet babies!

 I looked in A LOT of ears!! I even found a bug in an ear one day!  We finally flushed it out with water.  Super cool!

 The whole family would come to be seen.  Sometimes I would have 5 or 6 patients from one family at my station at one time.

 Another sick baby:(

 I love this pic!  One of the hundreds of prayers that Erica and I prayed over our patients!

 Another pic of me and sweet Erica.

Wow!  As I think back over this week, I have so many feelings.  Thankful for the opportunity to go, and also so thankful for everything I am blessed with here.  I will never, ever be thankful enough for air conditioner.  You just don't realize how hard life is without it, until you try to function and concentrate after your brain has been SO hot for SO long.  I'm totally not joking...the heat would absolutely zap my energy and my brain just wouldn't work.  I don't know why God decided to allow me to be born in America, but I can tell you for sure, that I AM GRATEFUL!!!

Nicaragua Part 1

 I left on July 19 for a week long medical mission trip to Nicaragua.  It has been a dream of mine for a long time.  I was actually scheduled to go on one before (even had a plane ticket purchased) and then found out I was pregnant with Beau. So, this trip was long over due!

I traveled with 11 others including Dr. Aaron White, and my two dear friends Sherry and Cindy.  We met a team of 10ish?  who had gone down the week before.  

Let me just say that this was the HARDEST week of my entire life....physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  H.A.R.D.  I enjoyed so much of it, but I also learned a lot about myself and what I am and am not capable of.  Being in a 3rd world country is hard, but trying desperately to meet the physically and spiritual needs of SO many in such difficult circumstances was VERY trying for this spoiled American.

Here is my stuff....ready to go.  We packed VERY light.  Our checked bags we saved for all of our medical supplies, so all of my personal stuff had to fit in my carry-on bag and a cinch sack I carried on my back.  That alone was tough for me.  I like my "stuff". :)

 We flew out of the Ft. Smith airport which was very nice.  I loved that Travis got to "see me off" at the airport.  Let me just add here that the boys had an awesome week!!  They traveled and hung out with Nana and PaPa and Nonnie and Poppy.  I'm SO grateful for amazing grandparents who took such good care of them so that I could go and Travis could work!!

Sherry and I on our first flight.  We looked so happy and carefree....we had NO idea what we were in for!  HA!

 We spent the night in Dallas and headed to Nicaragua via Miami on Friday morning.  This plane was HUGE!!  I had never flown in a plane with 2 aisles.

 "Welcome to Nicaragua".  The first thing we saw when we got off the plane.  This trip had MANY obstacles.  The Nicaraguan government made it very difficult for us and our medications to make it into the country.  We thought we were finally clear, and at the very last check point out of the airport they grabbed about half of our backs to search.  Pretty scary stuff (especially since most of the medications in those bags had already been denied because they "changed" the expiration date rules after they were purchased).  Praise the Lord, after lots of digging they allowed us to take them with us.

 The first day we got to the compound, unpacked, and sorted all of our medicines.  They had to all be packaged into individual baggies with instructions in Spanish.  I'm talking 25,000 vitamins just as the tip of the iceberg.  It was QUITE an undertaking!

The next day we used as our "sightseeing" day.  In retrospect I SO wish we had planned this day about half-way through, just to have a recovery day.  But, again, we were pretty naive at this point and had a really fun day!!

First we went zip-lining!  Absolutely amazing!  For $23 we zipped through 17 different stations!! 

Sherry and I looking ever so lovely in our gear!

I even went upside down once and did "Superman" style with a guide.  A thrill for sure!! 

Absolutely beautiful jungle!!

After that we went to a little place called Catarina and did some shopping and ate an authentic Nicaraguan meal.  It was really neat!

 Sherry and I waiting on our lunch:)

 Cindy and I still waiting...

 Some of my happiest moments involved a cold Coke!  I am SO spoiled.  I get really cranky when I can't get my hands on a Diet Coke.  Regular Coke hit the spot when I could get my hands on one!

 Our appetizer was fried cheese on a fried plantain with beets on the side.  Yum!

 I ordered some kind of Hawaiian steak.  It was interesting.  I just kept reminding myself it was like carne asada that I would get a La Fiesta.  Right??  It was actually pretty tasty!

 Our view of the "lake" from our table.  It was actually a crater from a volcano our something like that....

Cindy and I shopping in the market.

 That afternoon we took a boat ride to monkey island.  It was another experience for sure!

 We took 2 boats and saw some really amazing sights.  There are hundreds of small islands in this lake and people buy an island and build these amazing houses on them.  Obviously, a very different population from the people we would be serving later in the week.

 A really beautiful house on a private island.

 A monkey!!!

 Our guided opened a "water banana" and this pretty flower came out!

It was a very fun day of sight-seeing and getting to know each other.  The next morning we would start our "mission".  Stay tuned!!

Update!!

Well, GaGa finally made it out of the hospital on Monday, July 16!!!  It was a LONG hospital stay, but he is back at his apartment with a full time sitter.  He is doing really well (except that he had to come home with a catheter and he hates it) and is gaining his strength back!

Mom and dad got home the next day!  Woo Hoo!!  They had an amazing trip and enjoyed some rest and relaxation.  We help it together while they were gone....just barely!

The boys kept their yard mowed.  There is nothing in the world Evan loves more than mowing their yard, because he gets to use the riding mower:)

 I managed to keep their plants and flowers alive the whole time, in the 105 degree heat!

 They brought back awesome souvenirs!  I got this amazing chocolate, and some beautiful handmade jewelry!

Evan got some chocolate and  Hershey's teddy bear.  He LOVES it!  Beau Beau got a Hershey's truck and trailer:)  And Blake got his dream gift....the World's Largest Hershey's Bar!!!  He LOVES chocolate and so this was right up his alley!!

We are SO glad they are home!  Now, I've got to get packed to leave for Nicaragua in 2 days!

GaGa

Well, mom and dad were planning to leave for a 3 week trip to Maine on June 27, and in the middle of the night the night before GaGa had to be taken to the hospital because he couldn't breathe.  It just never fails:)

So, I scurried around and got ready and my sweet SIL Amy came down to stay with the kids, and I headed to the hospital.  GaGa had major fluid  overload (from CHF) and pneumonia.  We got him settled into a room, and I convinced mom and dad to go ahead and head out.

Since then, I have spent quite a bit of time in the hospital with GaGa, but thankfully, he is doing MUCH better.  He had to get through the 1 year anniversary of Dessa passing away (at St. Edwards) while he lay in a hospital bed at St. Edwards.  That was tough.  Last Monday we thought he was going to get to come home, but he had a major dizzy spell when he got up with Physical Therapy and the doctor said he wasn't going anywhere.

He was very much against going to rehab at a nursing home.  With good reason, since after Dessa went to rehab she was never quite the same.  But, at this point I knew he had to have some rehab somewhere.  He agreed to try the rehab at the hospital.  So, the next day we got him moved upstairs.

He has now been in rehab for 1 week, and is doing really well.  He is up walking quite a bit, and he says he is using muscles he hasn't used in years:)

I'm hopeful that he will get to come home in the next week or so.  It's been CRAZY!!  I have managed to visit every day, and run errands for him to get everything he needs:)  I'm so sorry he is having to sit up there, but I know it's the best thing for him.  His spirits have been high, and I'm so thankful for that.  

Here he is!  He LOVES to eat.  He says they just don't put enough food on those hospital trays:)

Love my GaGa!!  Here's to a quick rehab and discharge home!!