It's that time again!!!

Well it is Monday, we are about to go to Marvin's and Cristina's home that they are renting for fellowship. Tomorrow is our travel day, it will start early yet again, with the bus leaving at 5am! Many of the participants are ready to go home. I am mixed. Although I miss my bed and hot showers, the cold shower was perfect when I woke up with a migraine today. Yesterday was our relaxing day to the waterfall and the nice bus trip of 6 hours. Today we went to the feeding center in la Esperanza, then we went to go see how the construction is going on Marvin and Cristina's house. It is farther than January with the retention wall finished but they still need the kitchen to be done and a front door to be placed. They are going on 7 years of trying to build their home.  We walked the ministry property that they hope to build several things but there is also property next to them that is for sale but they do not have the funds to obtain. It all be a great ministry place one day. Please pray for all of us as we travel several of us are havering sniffles and head colds.
Fun thing: today the boys decided to buy fireworks then shoot them off this afternoon. It was very loud and I laughed very hard. It just reminds me how dangerous fireworks are and I will not be lighting anytime soon, but it was fun. My nursing skills were not needed. I am pretty sure Josiah got some white hairs. ;) well I hope I post more but we will see!!






That's right beth got out of the bus to go look at a pig.

Guest author for today.....

Hello! I would like you all to meet my friend Beth, I asked her to write some thoughts about the trip.

Before I share, I would like to say that Nicole convinced me to take part in this trip to La Esperanza, Honduras, and I'm so glad she did! La Esperanza has taken a piece of my heart; the people are so kind, and the city and "department" of Intebuca breathtaking. However, medical and dental brigades in the villages left us with up to 12 hour days of work and travel, hot and sticky rooms with little space made it uncomfortable, and mental/physical/spiritual fatigue ensued. I had the privilege to act as one of the providers during this trip, examining and basically prescribing medications to many patients, and I experienced all of the above challenges mentioned. Although these challenges existed, there were constant reminders of God's presence in all of them: His promises to cover, protect, provide, heal, and just BE with us were spoken through our morning devotions; promptings and encouragement from team members gave us the courage to reach the Honduran people on a spiritual level after meeting physical needs. Even though our days were long and my body was tired by the end of the brigades, I somehow felt rest and rejuvenation in this place. It is a rest that God can only provide in the midst of work when we dwell and abide in Him. This rejuvenation was much needed in my heart, and I now have a glimpse as to the purpose behind the Lord bringing me to La Esperanza. I'm so looking forward to my next visit to Honduras (after taking a few Spanish classes), and thank you to Nicole, my team, Hands Giving Hope, and those who have supported us through donations and most importantly prayer. :)

Another day done

Well we are all done with the clinics! And we are exhausted! Throughout the week medical saw over 500 people!!! Yesterday was the most trying! It was very hot in the clinic, with hardly any breeze, it did not let up until it rained. Then it was very enjoyable! I also decided yesterday was the day Daniella would start seeing patients on her own with me there to answer questions. At first she didn't really want to but then I got called away with my fist aid kit for a scraped knee, so it was a forced "you are ready". She did fine and then I got called away for a boy who accidently nicked himself with a machete. Once I cleaned it I though it would need 2-3 sutures so I found the nurse who runs the clinics and she place 3 sutures on the laceration of course without any numbing agents. The boy did well, just covering his face, only feeling a little bit of pain. Our ride was very interesting going back to base camp, there was rain, muddy roads, and steep inclines. But we made it back ok! Today we went to market, I went with Christina buying fresh fruits and vegetables for the team for the rest of the week. In the afternoon we went to a Lenca village and bought some hand woven items. We got to watch some of them weave the blankets/scarves, it was really cool! We then went to the festival of mushrooms and wine. I had seen the parade when I was at the market earlier but it was. I obviously did not try anything but it was cool to look at things. I was interviewed by the department of tourism. I was picked out very easily, and asked how much Spanish I knew in espanol. It was interesting and made just want to learn my Spanish better.
Tomorrow we go to the waterfall pray for our safety and that no one is hurt. I can't believe we are almost done!!!

Long day does not prescribe it!

Long day does not describe it
Today started like any day, by the sounds of pigs squealing, rooster crowing, and dogs barking. Our devotional was led by Blaine. She was very nervous and worried about it all during breakfast, and was great! She spoke about spiritual gifts and that we need to fit together for the body of Christ to work. It was well done. So then we went to a town that I again cannot pronounce, and set up our clinic at a school that is nestled in between banana trees and coffee plants. It is the most beautiful scenery but the school is the smallest. Between Beth, dra. Gladys and I we saw 207 patients. Dental saw 57 patients. We ran out of our rationed medications with running out of children's vitamins around 2. Around 3:30 everything I wanted to prescribe for people we were out of. Then I wouldn't even have vitamins to give to people after I tell them they need to see a specialist. Dental even ran out of the dentist paper towels, they were using napkins at the end of the day! Around midday I had a patient who asked for us to go to her house to see her daughter who can't leave the house. I told the woman to talk to Christina who arranges our transportation, I figured that we could go see her this weekend or they might decide she was in to a obscure place to go see her. As we loaded up, and hour later than normal, I found out we would go see the lady on our way out of the village. So the bus stopped at this house on a hill I could see how a person who can't walk could not leave the house it was a hike for us. The woman there had really bad rheumatoid arthritis and had an infected ulcer in her leg and foot. We grabbed medications and tried to explain to the family what needed to be done. We then prayed with her the salvation prayer. It was amazing and intimate with only a few of us there. 30 minutes we were back on the bus and heading back to base camp. We got back around 6:45 and we were all exhausted we have one more clinic tomorrow!
Prayers:
Please pray that we will have enough medications and that God will guide us to who will receive the correct medication.
Prayer for safety we have some interesting roads and bridges tomorrow!
Pray for health of the team members people are starting to get sick and still have one more clinic.
Pray for restful sleep, as the rooster starts to crow at 10:30 at night.

Another day, another milestone!

Nurse Beth became dra. Beth!
Today we went to a Asagualpa, don't ask me how to pronounce it! Today Beth saw patients by herself!! Carlos was her interpreter and I was sad to lose him, but I was excited to see my friend learn and I had fun teaching  Daniella who is a premed student at GCU. Daniella was my interpreter and I had her take blood pressures at the same time! Between dra. Gladys, Beth, and I, we saw 121 patients, dental saw 40! We had a lot of fun there! Dental was out side, I was thinking it was like a show for all the people waiting to see the docturras!
The driving today was crazy!!! We had to get out of the bus so it could make it up a hill! The when we were headed back we found a huge dead snake in the middle if the road, of course one of the boys though it would be good to bring the snake onto the bus, Beth did bit like that all. It did not stay on the bus for long.  I am getting to joke the Pure heart team. There are a set of twin boys who are hilarious! They have me in laughing fits!
Please pray for travel, and that we will continue to see people pray to except Christ.
Till next time!

Pictures

Our soundtrack is Indiana Jones!

Our soundtrack is Indiana jones!
Hello!!!
Today was a clinic in a school and it went very well!! Pray for Beth tomorrow she will be on her own as a doctura with Carlos to translate, I will be with Daniella a premed student as my translator and nurse and we will see if she can start seeing patients on Friday.
The roads to the village are very narrow, sloped, rocky, and pot-holey so Beth and would sing the theme song to Indiana jones, who needs Disneyland? More tomorrow- pray for our travel the roads are different!

Went to prison again!!!!

Went to prison again!
Well as you can see we made it to Honduras! After taking a bus to our base camp, we found our suitcases got soaked but very randomly. All of my medical supplies were fine, praise God! My clothes were variously soaked. The dorms are interesting at the ministry land. The girls are on one side with two rooms with bunk des and two bathrooms the guys are on the other side with there bathroom out side. We have an outside kitchen/eating area that is surround by wood for the cook fire. The night sky is filled with various noises of the town and every single animal in a five mile radius, or that's what seemed like!
Today was the day we went to prison and served the prisoners. It was very interesting, especially to see the same people that we saw 6 months ago. The complaint of the day was tos-cough, gripe-cold, and athletes foot. As soon as they found out we had clear eyes everyone of them started asking for anything for the eyes. So of course we ran out. But we did ration our supplies so we will have some for the rest of the week. I was a doctora today and my friend Beth was the emfermerra between myself and the other doctora, we hope Beth will start seeing patients soon. Today we realized all the medical supplies we will need for future brigades. This trip I brought my pulse oximeter . I put it on one patients fingers and his eyes got all big, he just saw like a Star Trek move with flashing red lights reading his vitals. Well I will right more later, we don't have very good internet so we will see how soon next time will be ! Below are prayers that our team can use throughout the week!

Prayers during our trip
1) unity among our team and with our ministry partners, pray against a spirit if division.
2) Protection (psalm 91 and Ephesians 6:10-18) and safety of our team.
3) health
4) for our vehicles we will travel in that no issues would occur and they would run well and safely.
5) god would soften the hearts of the perople we will minister to.
6) that we can meet physical and spiritual needs of people.
7) divine appointments, that God would bring people in our path to minister too.

Back to Honduras!

Going to Honduras
And we are off!!! Heading to Honduras, started with all of us meeting at 3 am at the airport! Today will just be the long tedious day of getting to La Esperanza. After we fly into the capital it will take 3-4 hours of drive time to reach our home base. Pure heart brought a large team this summer, I am excited to see how the dynamic will be different not only with the size of the team but the difference of our home base being at the old children's home. I say bring on the humidity, and I will write as soon as possible!

Prayer requests:
Safety with travel.
Monday is prison day, so to be able to minister to the prisoners.
Team unity, Beth is one of my best friends, and then there is every one else I don't know. ;) pray we all get along and be able to handle conflicts appropriately and with grace.

Also check out the pure heart face book page for long and lengthy posts done by my good friend Josiah, known to the pure heart team as, pastor Josiah. As my father said, "I recognize that beard from your pictures." You won't miss it, :-P

Till next time!