allison ippel

Hitting the books

2009-08-28T12:12:00.001-07:00

"EDUCATION IS THE PROGRESSIVE DISCOVERY OF OUR OWN IGNORANCE."

Actually we don't really use books -- all our lectures are power point presentations
which we print off in place of buying loads of books. But 2 weeks ago I started in the Dr. William M. Scholl School of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, IL. So far I'm taking Biochemistry, Gross Anatomy, Structure & Function (physiology and histology) and a class called Essentials of Clinical Reasoning. Already I'm astonished at how much can be learned when adequate time is spend staring at/studying it. I think I only studied this much during finals week at Wheaton, but so far I'm enjoying all my classes, but leaning toward Anatomy being my favorite.

End of Summer

2009-08-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

Last summer was kind of a blur, but I mostly remember it being relaxing, enjoyable and a time that I could focus on my relationships with family and friends back here in the States. I spent time in Decatur, a bit in Chicago, traveled to GA, MN and WV for friends' weddings, and went camping in MI. I had time to read a lot of books, explore the northern suburbs by bike (no small feat) and learn how to cook for one person. Eventually I moved to an apartment in Lake Bluff, IL which is 3 miles from school, and still close to a couple good Wheaton buddies.
Photo taken at a Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert at the Ravinia outdoor music theatre with friends Beth (pictured), her husband, Graham, and my good buddy Jean.

Sandy's Scholarship

2009-08-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

Soon after moving to Honduras, Sandy and I became buddies and she was the one person I felt comfortable chatting with in Spanish. Not asking for directions or making small talk, but actually having a conversation. Nick even mentioned when he came to visit how he noticed that I actually tried to tell funny stories to her in Spanish! Sandy's subtle and sly sense of humor along with her patience with my endless mistakes made her a fun person to learn from -- not only speaking Spanish, but about life as a Honduran girl my age. I ate meals at her house and visited with her family often, and our friendship really grew throughout my time in Honduras.

(Sandy and me under her birthday sign back in April)

After learning about the educational system and experiencing firsthand the difficulties of the application and entrance process, I felt that God was really asking me "Well, what are you going to do about it?" I was hesitant at first, knowing it would be difficult to deal with sending money, especially since it was a friend and because I was moving back to the States. But those excuses were just ways I was looking for the easy way out. I decided to start a scholarship fund for Sandy which is similar in the setup to the scholarships of the other missionaries in the area. Sharon Washburn, administrator at the Christian high school, has graciously offered to help with the distribution of the funds on the Honduran end of things so the money is more secure. Plus I get her added experience of having dealt with this endeavor before.

(Photo taken during first week of living in Honduras!)

Sandy and her family are very excited that she can continue her education at the public university in the city, which is about an hour away from Rio Viejo. What a special and extraordinary opportunity for her – the first to attend college in her family! Sandy is interested in studying business with a focus on tourism industry studies. She wants to return back to the river valley where she grew up to be involved and affect her community.

Necessary funds which include tuition, books, housing, food, bus fare, and a little spending money have been estimated and adjusted by missionaries who support students in similar situation as Sandy. A check will be sent to the administrators of IER who will directly deposit Sandy’s funds in the Honduran baking system. In this way, Sandy will receive money on a monthly basis directly into an Honduran bank account. She will therefore be responsible to pay her bills, budget for upcoming expenses, and learn to responsibly manage money.

I spoke with her the other day on the phone for the first time being back. We had so much fun catching up and could have talked for longer!

If you're interested in donating to the scholarship, or in more info about the logistics of the process, feel free to contact me at allisonippel@yahoo.com.

"Bolsas de Brenda"

2009-08-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

"Bolsas de Brenda" means Brenda's Bags, the name of the small business of a good friend of mine from Rio Viejo. By providing an order of handmade purses and tote bags, Brenda is able to work in her home while taking care of her 3 children. I was blessed by our relationship while living in Honduras and Brenda and I still keep in touch frequently on the phone.

(Me with one of the twins the week before I left Honduras)

Each handmade bag ($10, tote or purse style available) is designed and crafted by Brenda Carcamo in her home in Rio Viejo, Honduras. Brenda and her husband, Alfredo, live in a typical Honduran home made mostly of scrap wood, sticks, cardboard walls, and a tin roof. The children all sleep in the same bed and Brenda’s kitchen is outside her home. Alfredo works a variety of jobs when he can find work— as a farmer, painter in the city and also doing construction. Brenda earns money by making and selling snacks and drinks during the snack and lunch bread at the local high school. She is especially grateful to have work during the rainy season (during fall/winter months in the States), as this is a particularly hard time for her husband to find work.

· The bag can also serve as a reminder to pray for Brenda and her family, and all who are in poverty and hunger all over the world.

· Reuse your bag at the store to avoid throwing away plastic bags. (The average American uses 492 plastic bags a year!)

If you're interested in learning more about Brenda's bags, please email me! I will be taking orders for the bags for one more week so that they can arrive before Christmas (they would make great gifts!).

Brenda Update

2009-08-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Progress with Brenda's kitchen!

Brenda and I have been staying in touch via cell phone since I've been back in the States and she and her family are doing well, although she mentioned last time that my Spanish has gotten much worse!

Because of the money she has earned selling the purses and bags she sews, she has been able to buy the bricks for her new kitchen! Brenda and Alfredo are excited to add a kitchen to their home to keep the chickens from flying on the stove and also to keep the rain out when Brenda is preparing food. She is hoping to have the construction done before the rainy season starts this fall.

HAPPY birthday! The twins turned 2 in July! Look at their beautiful dresses! Somebody must've had a little too much fun.

These pictures were taken off of Heather's blog, but sure seems like they had a fun party. I'm sorry I had to miss it!

Aunt Cristy with the birthday girls (Alesandra and Alejandra).

Honduran friends

2009-05-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Claire, me, Heather, Martin and Wendy (fellow interns along with the Dr. Williams and his wife who I worked with)

Brenda, Alesandra, Minor and Alejandra (Sandy's sister-in-law with her 3 children)

Chris (teacher at IER), Sharon (nurse at our clinic), me, Claire (fellow intern), Allison & Larry Smoak (missionaries living nearby), and Joel

My buddy, Ronald Joel Velasquez Hernandez

Sandy's birthday

Sandy's sister, Cristy

Elida, the culinary extraordinaire for our short-term teams

Movie night at Earl and Sharon's house (administrators of Instituto El Rey high school)

Maxs, Elmer and Jeremias (boys who attend IER and live across the street at Earl & Sharon's house)

My class farewell

2009-05-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

This is a video from my 9th grade English class (the more well-behaved one!). They sang a song for me in English, "This is the Day". Enjoy!

Brenda visits her mother!

2009-05-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, my friend Brenda is a mother of 3 beautiful children and has been using her talents in sewing and designing bags for me to bring home to friends and family in the States. I am hoping to continue to purchase bags from Brenda, but it's difficult as I am not living in Honduras anymore (I returned on May 16th). I had to purchase the fabric, buttons, thread, etc. in the city and bring it to Brenda, and then pay her when she finished. As Rio Viejo doesn't have mail service, it's a bit complicated to get the bags to the States, but I'm hoping to work with the missionaries who still live there and see what we can do. It's hard to leave Brenda and her situation and want to help, but being so far away.

Here one of the twins is taking a nap while her sister mischievously swings the hammock.Brenda also makes and sells food during the breaks at the high school to help support her family.

Brenda, like many Honduran women, works very hard, long hours to care for and support her family. Her husband works in the city when he can find work, so Brenda has been able to save the money she's made from these bags to pay for the bus fare to visit her mother over Mother's Day. Brenda took all three kids and spent 5 days with her mother, who she hasn't seen since she was 1 year old. I asked her what it was like when they first saw each other and she said there were "lots of hugs and kisses, but no crying. We were just so happy to see each other." She also added that Minor was a bit apprehensive when his grandmother hugged him, but the twins were both very scared! Brenda is hoping that her children can be closer to their grandma now and that their relationship will grow stronger.

Brenda and her husband, Alfredo, have also been saving their money to build a kitchen on their house. She has already bought some of the bricks and said Alfredo knows how to do construction. He will build it after they purchase the remaining 100 bricks, cement, and iron rods.

Brenda is enthusiastic to have an enclosed kitchen where her chickens won't fly up on the pots and where the dishes can be kept clean after they are washed. Also, she's anxious to put a new doorway to the house as the 3 steps leaving the house are steep and dangerous. She is scared and nervous after one of her little girls was unconscious after hitting her head from a falling down the steps. Life in Honduras and all who live in poverty is full of unfulfilled promises, hurt, surprises, and a lack of options. I hope God will continue to lay on my heart people like Brenda and her family, the awareness of their situations, and what I can do about it.

Saying goodbye to Brenda was probably the hardest goodbye for me, and I'll miss her energetic smile and fun personality. She is so joyful and a wonderful mother. When I was saying goodbye, Minor shared a chip with me from the small bag which was probably his lunch. So generous, yet they have so little. With tears in her eyes, she thanked me over and over and told me she's excited for when I can come back to visit as we will have a big meal of fish that Alfredo will catch from the river, with tortillas, beans and fried bananas...A true example of hospitality and selflessness. As I said to her, it's not "adios", it's "hasta luego!"

Final Clinic Days

2009-05-20T11:30:00.001-07:00

Assisting Martin cast a woman in the hospital in La Ceiba who broke her arm a couple days before. She called Martin who brought the casting materials down with us so we could cast her arm that had been in a sling. Have I mentioned things are a bit different in Honduras?

A couple weeks ago this patient (in the hammock) accidentally cut himself with his machete while working in his fields far away from his village. He yelled to his friends who found him bleeding profusely from the gash just above his knee. The friends then ran down the mountain to bring a hammock and carried him to our clinic where he was stitched up and drank IV bags to replace some of the fluid that was lost from bleeding for over 3 hours.

A Honduran campesino-style ambulance...and a sign of true friendship!

Part of my duties included pre-screening patients and taking blood pressure, temperature, weight, etc.

This little baby had strep throat, an upper respiratory illness very common in our area.

I also filled prescriptions and explained the different medications to the patients, which sometimes is more difficult as many adults in our area are illiterate.

One of my favorite patients -- she's a trooper and could out-hike me any day!

Assisting (i.e. pinning the kid down) an injection of penicillin for one of many cases of step throat we saw in the past couple weeks.

Trust and Obey

2009-05-11T17:54:00.000-07:00

TRUST AND OBEY

1. When we walk with the Lord

in the light of his word,

what a glory he sheds on our way!

While we do his good will,

he abides with us still,

and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a burden we bear,

not a sorrow we share,

but our toil he doth richly repay;

not a grief or a loss,

not a frown or a cross,

but is blest if we trust and obey.

3. But we never can prove

the delights of his love

until all on the altar we lay;

for the favor he shows,

for the joy he bestows,

are for them who will trust and obey.

4. Then in fellowship sweet

we will sit at his feet,

or we'll walk by his side in the way;

what he says we will do,

where he sends we will go;

never fear, only trust and obey.

Larry mentioned this hymn at house church last weekend as a couple of us are leaving soon (me this week, nurse and her husband next month, and Heather later this fall). It's my Grandma Ippel's favorite hymn and is such a beautiful song. Think it's my favorite hymn too and also my prayer as I move back to the States this week. That the Lord would seal in my character and being this part of my journey -- to always love what he loves, and never forget this place and time he's given me.

A Taste of Honduras

2009-05-10T19:16:00.001-07:00

For real fresh fruit.

Papaya tree from my backyard.

Pataste plant (prickly pear) at Larry's.

Lizard friend on our fence.

Pretty beetle friend.

Agriculture Trip

2009-05-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

During the last weekend of the Canadian high schooler's two-month stay in Honduras, the team splint into three groups for a sleepover weekend with one of three rotations -- clinic group had campout in remote village with little medical care, construction projects for the orphanage group, and for us ag people, learning to live simply and to live out Christ's love.

Part of living simply was learning how to make lots of foods from scratch. Pictured here are students making peanut butter, oatmeal bread, and homemade granola.

We also worked in the fields in order to experience a bit of what it's like to be a farmer in a place like Honduras. Here we are weeding the banana trees, which is done using a very sharp machete.

The most eye opening and memorable part of the weekend was the hike and overnight stay at the home of a fellow farmer and friend of Larry's, Don Chombo. Just to walk to the village took about an hour through a shaky Indiana Jones-style hammock bridge, dense jungle, steep rocky mountainside, and even across a river -- which is amazing as its an almost daily routine for some in the area.

Pictured above is a view of Chombo's farm -- not quite what most of us envision as farmland. But this is where he grows his corn and other vegetables. He also carries down his harvest on his back in 100-pound sacks in this terrain, which amazed us as we had trouble just walking through.

To help support his family, Chombo sells cilantro in La Ceiba, about 2 hours from his home. Here we were learning how he uses banana leaves and a part of another plant for string to package his bundles.

All in the group were astounded at the hospitality and generosity of Don Chombo's family. We brought a live chicken to put in the soup we had for dinner, but the rest of our food came from Chombo's land. Most students mentioned how amazed they were at how much they gave to us, even though they have so little.

These people are one storm away from being hungry.

How can I identify with these people as my life is so different?

Chickens!

2009-05-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Ugliest Chicken of the Year award:

One day during the 10-day visit of my friend Alex, we crowned this featherless friend first place. Unfortunately it must've heard and while we were snoozing in our hammocks it took out its revenge by stealthily sneaking into the house and leaving a number of splats scattered throughout the house, despite the tall barricades which guarded the back door.

Here he is purusing the kitchen in search of the vast array of dead bugs...

...under the kitchen table, where he really hit the jackpot...

...in my ROOM, that little sneaker...

...under the couch (quite a contrast of cultures, no?)...

...and finally, FUERA!! And stay out!

Alex's Visit

2009-05-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

My friend Alex was able to come for 10 days. Alex and I met at Wheaton on "Honduras Project" and it was great having her here to share a bit of my experience, see what life is like here, relax, meet my friends here, and she also helped out in the clinic.

One day during her visit we went down to Larry and Allison's to help make jam from their Suriname cherry tree. Wow is it ever tasty.

Alex's visit was not completely pain free, however, as I experienced quite a fall from a faulty hammock tie job. As you can see, the hammock on the right is mounted considerably higher than the other one, which accounted for my steadily recuperating hip and buns.

Semana Santa

2009-05-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

Sawdust Carpet photos from our visit to Copán -- a Catholic tradition during Semana Santa (Holy Week) in a few cities in Honduras

This process took a couple days to complete and culminated in a long procession on the night before Easter Sunday

Many people worked for 2 days and through the night on these carpets in the main streets of Copán -- most just used brightly dyed sawdust, but others had fresh flowers, rice, dried beans and other materials.

View from a ladder of the stations of the cross -- quite a memorable time and unique perspective on the celebration and dedication of Christ's death and resurrection.

Brenda Carcamo

2009-05-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

Brenda's son, Minor, is my little buddy and loves watermelon, which is a special treat here. He has taken to teaching me how to throw a top (trompo in Spanish), but I have yet to figure it out! He's a fun kid who is so helpful, always obedient and very patient with his little sisters.

Brenda is a friend of mine from Rio Viejo (who is also Sandy's sister-in-law). I'd like to share her story with you, as she is someone who I've grown close to and will miss dearly when I leave Honduras in 2 short weeks.

Brenda (pictured in background here) grew up living all over the country with various family members, oftentimes in an abusive home environment. She got married when she was 17 and now has three children, Minor (7) and twin girls, Alisandra and Alejandra (2 yrs in July).

Brenda lives a typical Honduran life here in the cuenca, caring for her children, preparing food for her family (tortillas, beans, fried bananas, rice, chicken, etc.), cooking food to sell at the high school, washing her clothes by hand, cleaning the house, etc. She is also a very talented seamstress and learned part of her trade through long hours working in a sweatshop, although the bulk of her work has resulted from lots of practice, combined with being extremely talented. She is very creative and told me the other day that she just loves to sew.

Brenda has made over 60 bags and purses that the Canadian group and us interns have purchased from her in order to support her family. With this money they have already purchased the cement blocks to use to build a kitchen on their one-room home. It's exciting to see this progress as it was something they were hoping to do in a year's time. While taking into consideration other factors including minimum wage in Honduras, being sensitive to other employers/laborers on the local level in Rio Viejo, the cost of materials, etc., I hope that this relationship is nothing but positive and encouraging for Brenda, her family and the community.

When Brenda was 1 year old, she went to live with her grandma. Since then, she has has spoken to her mother on the phone, but has not seen her mother, nor has the mother met Brenda's children. Despite the short 2 hour distance between the cities in which they live, Brenda has not been able to afford the price of bus tickets, but this Mother's Day is hoping to make the trip for the first time. It's been so exciting to see it all unfold and the joy of a family being reunited.

Group hike to La Muralla

2009-04-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

The other day Claire and I led a hike to some nearby waterfalls for the group of 18 Canadian high schoolers/leaders that's here for 2 months. Since we had never been there before, we were a bit unsure of our navigational skills, but eventually we hopped across a river and walked up the boulders to an absolutely beautiful spot where there were tall rocky walls, hanging vines, crystal clear water, and a 20 ft waterfall (didn't bring my camera up there -- darn!)...I never cease to be amazed by the beauty of this country.

Unfortunately, Claire is leaving this coming weekend to return to Louisiana (I frequently make fun of her Creole/southern heritage) so she can pursue studies in medical school, hopefully in New Orleans. It's been great having her around for the past couple months, helping out in the clinic, trying my weird recipes, leaving the lights on, assisting in scorpion massacres, and wandering around the Honduran countryside with me...I will really miss her!

TD Christian High School

2009-04-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

Most of my time in the past two months has been planning for and interacting with the group that's been staying in the HHIM dormitory, which is across the yard from our house. We been visiting and hiking to lots of schools in the area to distribute toothbrushes, toothpaste, band-aids, alcohol wipes, anti-parasite medication and children's vitamins (when they're available). The group has also painted 3 murals since they got here, one of which is shown above at a elementary school in a village called Los Limpios. It was about a 2 hour hike, one-way, with all the paint for the school exterior and the mural along with the other materials. Just a side note -- we frequently see patients from this village, which cannot be easily reached by car when the river is high). During the walk back to Rio Viejo, I thought about the patients who make the walk to the clinic when they are very sick, or the mothers who carry their little babies the whole way, usually with other children in tow...brought a new perspective to this very rural area.

On the urban level, one Saturday a youth group from the large nearby city of La Ceiba come up to have a picnic, swim in the river and get to know the Canadian group from Toronto District Christian High School. The kids played group games which were easy to explain in limited Spanish and got them to interact with each other.

This picture is of two of the three guys who live across the street from the clinic in the dormitory of the administrators of Instituto El Rey, where I teach English. All 3 boys are unable to live at home because of sad and unfortunate circumstances, and because of support from the States, they can live here and get a top notch education at a Christian high school. Their names are Elmer and Jeremias (Jeremiah in English) and they're great to have around. The boys from the TD group have been inviting them to our weekday worship service and playing frisbee and soccer with them -- I'm sure they'll be missed when the group returns to Canada this week!

La Unica Razon (The Only Reason)

2009-04-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

La unica razon de mi adoracion

eres tu mi Jesus

Mi unico motivo para vivir

eres tu mi señor

Mi unica verdad esta en ti

tu eres mi luz y mi salvacion

Mi unico amor eres tu señor

y por siempre te alabare

Tu eres todo poderoso

eres grande y majestuoso

eres fuerte, invensible

y no hay nadie como tu

Rios de Agua Viva

2009-04-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

"Todo el que beba de esta agua volverá a tener sed

—respondió Jesús—

pero el que beba del agua que yo le daré,

no volverá a tener sed jamás,

sino que dentro de él esa agua se convertirá en un

manantial del que brotará vida eterna."

HP video

2009-04-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_um_bScLWJ4&feature=channel_page

(Lyrics from a song by Waterdeep)

The backdrop of mountains

Cuts into the sky

Is it there to protect

Or entrap the ones inside

The quiet village

Is full of tired brows

And strips of farmland

Fight it out with the farmers

In the night

The roosters crow with hunger

Wind brings dust instead of rain

Brought with thunder

As I hold your dirty hand

All that I can say to you

Is in the awkward smile I make

I can’t explain why I came

To this distant land

And your simple smile

Have touch my soul

But I can’t help

Love you and know

That you have all you need

And as I look into your face

I see hope and not disgrace

The strength that carries you along

The rugged road you travel on

As we go our separate ways

Can be sure that I have changed

Because I have seen the way you live

1 John 3:16-18

2009-03-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18

In other news...

2009-03-31T19:37:00.001-07:00

So out of the blue the other day Sandy told me, "Our horse gave birth last night. We found it this morning." Sure enough, the little guy was next to the mom right in from of the clinic gates grazing even though they live down in the village...since I had my camera with me, I snapped this shot...a new born horsie. It doesn't have a name yet, so I'm open to ideas. It was funny to watch it try to walk -- it looked so awkward with its little stilt legs. Pretty big to be inside the mom the day before!

Honduras Project

2009-03-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

This most recent trip has also proved to be a formative time that will certainly shape my life; perhaps similar in the crazy way just I ended up being called to move to Rio Viejo (I was first introduced to Martin and Wendy through a Wheaton/HP alum, Larry Smoak, who lives in a nearby village and has been an influential leader and mentor for many HP teams over the years). It was exciting to see and feel God at work but also difficult to continue to wrestle with ongoing questions of poverty, justice and God’s sovereignty.

I really felt God used the time in the village of San Ramon and the 2 debriefing days directly following to reflect on the relationships and questions from the week and process how these experiences can be used to spur others on to a life seeking Christ – for me, with groups that come to serve at the clinic, my family, friends, and others later on, along with my own personal walk.

Joe, Caterino, me and Ricardo. Topics of conversation ranged from faith, to proper cement consistency, diabetic diet modifications, beauties of a simple lifestyle, sustainable farming, and soccer. Caterino was a pretty well off community member as evident by his house, business and he even owns a car. As one of the few people with wheels, he was the go-to guy for transportation of workers, materials, and delivering us snacks. Joe and I spent many afternoons on his front porch playing with his kids, talking to his wife, and sipping Coke out of glass bottles and eating chips.

Along with the water system, the project emphasizes building relationships within the community. This was facilitated through 4 of the team members working alongside the women in the kitchen, preparing all the food for the group. Also, we had children’s ministry every afternoon, which included a craft, skit, songs and games. At night the village and many people from surrounding villages came together for a night service, with songs and personal testimonies from the group, a drama, and a message (either from a local pastor, Larry, or one of our advisors, Dr. Roop). This picture was taken the last night in the village – each work partner shared a few memories and thoughts with the rest of the village about his North American work partner and also gave each group member a “San Ramon” t-shirt as a departing gift.

The director this year was my good friend Blake. We did HP together our first trip, and the following year we were on cabinet together with 3 other students. Blake is a senior at Wheaton this year and did a great job leading the group, addressing the village in Spanish, keeping track of cultural awareness/sensitivity/minimizing the negative impact of bringing in a large group to a small village, and encouraging us throughout the week to focus on Christ as the ultimate example of love.
This being the third time I’ve been on HP, I’ve realized to an even greater extent the importance of taking time to think through and make decisions during this short window of time since the trip and life as usual in the States. How to act them out and how to remain in a the “chaos” of difficult questions and frustrations and injustices, amidst the temptation to again find more comfortable and less meaningful things with which to focus my attention, continues to be a struggle for me.

It is my hope that I, as well as all of my fellow HHIM family and endless volunteers, continue to seek to develop a deeper relationship and understanding of Christ and his Word and to continually look to Jesus as a perfect example of love and justice. May we all strive to overcome doubt with confidence, complacency with new challenges and arrogance with humility, using our gifts and abilities to serve the Lord wherever He leads us in this world, an ever-present mission field.

Wheaton Honduras Project 2009

2009-03-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a powerful and wise God we have, right? It was amazing to see Him move in the small village of San Ramon and in the group of 25 students and 2 advisors from Wheaton College Honduras Project during their 10-day spring break trip. This project has been very influential in my life as it first introduced me to the country and people of Honduras during my sophomore and junior years at Wheaton.

This project is a student-led initiative that involves raising support for materials and travel expenses while working in conjunction with a Honduran engineer and his wife to install a gravity-fed water system in a rural Honduran village. The project focuses on a holistic approach in active love through service and seeks to build meaningful relationships by living and working alongside Honduran people.
A couple weeks ago I had the privilege to accompany the group as a translator and again I was stretched and challenged to continue to wrestle with issues of poverty and brokenness in our world, while at the same time encouraged and inspired to find hope and joy in the love of Christ.

Most of my time translating was spent at the tank with the two men who were brought in to build the two tanks and facilitate the construction of the rest of the system. I mostly observed and made conversation with Joe, a fellow HPer, and his work partner, Ricardo. We learned how to mix cement, lay bricks, throw cement and accept lots of candy, chips and soda. It was fun to be able to encourage Joe and the other team members to use the Spanish they did know and be able to clear some of the fog in their brains from communicating in another language.
The presence of God was evident in the lives of everyone involved and I was really blown away by their sincere generosity, openness and grace – certainly a testament to the faithfulness and goodness of our God. Ever since I was a sophomore in college, this project (HP) has been instrumental in laying a foundation for my faith and desire to learn how to love others.

I'm a Teacher?

2009-03-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, a week before school started, I found out I would be a 9th grade English teacher. So far we have learned classroom commands ("Underline the word.", "Pass out the papers.", etc.), cardinal and ordinal numbers, the alphabet and the vowels, 5 different verbs, and pronouns. I know this because I just wrote their first major test today -- it's exam week this week since they're off the whole week next week for Semana Santa (Holy week).

A couple weeks ago it was Father's Day in Honduras -- the students had a special day where they had a program with dramas, special songs, traditional dances, etc. and also each classroom chose and cooked a meal for the dads that could come (about 30 out of 140) for the afternoon.
Some of my students -- Katy, Martín, Walter, Marlon and José Daniel. I have 2 classes every morning of 39 students total. In the first week of class I had them choose English names which ranged from the ever-so-popular Brittney, to an English pronunciation of their original name (i.e. "EL-veen" --> Elvin or "KAH-tee" --> Katie, etc.) but the most unique being Mainor's insistence on being called "Barack."

Acapella song

2009-03-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

"LET US ADORE"

Let us adore (Let us adore)

The ever-living G0d (The ever-living G0d)

And render praise (And render praise)

Unto Him (Unto Him)

Who stretched out the Heavens (Who stretched out the Heavens)

And established the earth (And established the earth)

And whose glory (And whose glory)

Is manifest throughout the whole earth

He is our God (He is our God)

And there is no one else

He is our God (He is our God)

And there is no one else

Nick's Visit III

2009-03-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

Nick's new friend, Paco, from Jason and Sarah's orphanage up the road from Rio Viejo. Paco is a kinkachu, which is like a monkey/bear and he is nocturnal and very friendly. To check out their website, go to: http://www.givehope2kids.org.
This is a picture of me, Heather and Claire on our hike up to the waterfall near our village. I was the caboose, which backfired in the end as I wasn't paying attention and we missed our trail. Much to our dismay, at the culmination of our expedition, we pushed back the foliage and took the final steps of the short descent (or so we thought) and were stupefied by the sight of the cement walkway which led to the suspension bridge at the ENTRANCE of the park! So, apparently we found the only way the two separate paths conjoin, which is no small feat in itself, but was quite disappointed to 4 very tired and worked up gringos who had been hiking for almost 2 hours. Needless to say, we didn't have time for a second try, so now I'm 0 for 2 with family hikes to the Falls.
Any guesses to what is hanging out of Nick's mouth? Ever heard of "mondongo" soup?? Yes, it is cow intestines. It's actually quite common here and they even serve it in restaurants. The mother of my friend, Sandy, was kind enough to make it along with fresh tortillas and surprised us one night! No, they didn't stay for dinner so don't think Nick made this face in front of the chef! He did manage a couple bites and did enjoy the yucca and other veggies. We still aren't completely positive that his intense diarrhea came from this or the other stuff he ate while he was here, but it is high on my list of culprits.
Now this is more like it!! The next night we made tons of guacamole and ate it all. Or at least Nick did I think. Due to the recent encounter of my new amoeba friends, I wasn't quite so enthusiastic, but I must admit, Heather makes a mean enchilada sauce.

Nick and I did venture down to the local soccer field, although neither one of us joined in. Men play separately from the women and supposedly there is a women's team (I have yet to see them play). The village teams around the mountain, like the guys here in Rio Viejo, are quite competitive and take the game very seriously. No, they didn't ask Nick to play, but we had fun watching -- cool how they found this piece of flat land for their field in the midst of such steep mountains!

Nick's Visit II

2009-03-02T16:51:00.000-08:00

One highlight of Nick's trip was crossing the river in a hand-cart that dangles over a huge rocky gorge.

In order to cross you need to purchase something from the co-op across, which sells different tapestries, blankets, etc. which are handmade by women in the area. We bought 2 lovely potholders with birds embroidered on them.

Fun in the sun -- climbing on the boulders, exploring the river, going for a swim, etc....oh, life in Honduras.

Waterfalls, suntans, enjoying the breeze...quite different than wintry Michigan this time of year!

Nick's friend (Sandy's brother), Victor, who took him for a bike ride in the mountains his first day here. Apparently the bikes broke about a mile or two outside the village so they had to walk them back before they went out again.

It was cool that he got to spend some time with someone from the village and also experience Honduran life from a local's perspective. Victor was quick to offer Nick some coconut water from his yard and I think Nick was a bit jealous of his tree-climbing and machete skills.

Nick's Visit

2009-03-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

Last week my brother, Nick, came down for a visit -- his first time outside of North America. It was great having him around and we had lots of fun exploring and spending time together. Here he is with some of his new friends: Isis, Norely, Belen, Saudito, Fernandito and Claudia.

As his more experienced (less gringo) sister, I was able to show him a few Honduran tricks of the trade, for example, how to eat an orange Honduran-style, and how to kill scorpions (actually Claire nailed the one pictured).

Actually, most of Nick's free time here was spent helping us interns clean out the dorm for the upcoming influx of teams (currently there's a 2-month team of HS kids from Canada). We scraped cement, scrubbed, vacuumed, and mopped floors, painted, moved bunk beds, made the beds, etc. and Nick won "Best Scrapper" award by scrapping off a chunk of the dining room floor in his attempt to get off a paint splatter.

It was Nick's goal while he was here to find a tarantula and a scorpion, so he was 1 for 2. We seem to be having an increase of scorpions in our house in the past month, and I think the count is now up to 7. Fortunately so far the sting count is 0.

Belize Trip

2009-02-27T20:13:00.001-08:00

View of the Organic Bamboo Farm where we stayed in this little hut for our first 2 nights in Belize...our stay included fresh organic meals, a canoe tour on a big river where we saw a bunch of howler monkeys, and an educational hike through the rainforest. (Now we know why the Spanish settlers didn't stick around -- the bugs!!)
Instead of showering we decided to rough it and bathe in the swimming hole near the farm one night -- only to find out there are "piranha-related" fish in there which like to nibble on your legs and buns! Sarah never quite got used to it. Besides the swarms of mosquitoes and getting lost in the rainforest in the dark on the way back, the were natural mud masks which were almost worth it. Oh, and Sarah got some funky rash all over her legs at some point during the day which lasted throughout the rest of the trip!

A typical meal for us vegetarians, which is also popular in all of Central America -- black beans, fried plantains, soft/salty white cheese, tomato, avocado (overabundant to our excitement, and also why the people are called "green bellies" in some parts of Guatemala!) and always accompanied by corn tortillas. We also frequently enjoyed lots of amazing fruit and fresh orange juice...I think the food might have been the best part!

Guatemala Trip

2009-02-27T19:46:00.000-08:00

Since my visitor's visa expires every 90 days, I was forced to leave Honduras for a couple days and go to a country that does not share a border with Honduras. Sarah and I met up in Belize and traveled through Guatemala for a week. I had a fun time with her and really enjoyed seeing more of Central America.

Guatemalan culture is very different from Honduras in many ways, for example, in their dress. These men are sporting the typical outfits of a town near Lago Atitlan.

The women also wear sashes around their waist to tie on their skirts. All of the clothing was very colorful and beautiful to see. I really enjoyed visiting the markets and eating lots of fresh fruit. One day I ate an entire pineapple by myself!

These are the shoes we bought at the market before our hike on the volcano -- in addition to spicing up our photos on the hike, these babies saved our other shoes from getting melted on the volcanic rock.

View from hike to Volcan Pacaya -- we took the night hike, which was a great way to spend our last night enjoying some breathtaking views of the Guatemalan landscape.

M, D and L visit: Village Gallery

2009-01-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

Dad workin away under our champa under Lindsay's supervision...he sure kept busy with my long list of projects during his time here! Managed to fix our lights, hand a backsplash above our stove, hang and cut curtain rods in the whole house, drill holes in the cement walls for our pictures and shelves, put wooden frames around the doors, screens in a couple windows, play around with our faucets and showers, and paint our microwave shelf. All in 3 days!

On the last day of their visit, we went on a walking tour of the village and to visit the house of my friend, Sandy. In her backyard, Sandy asked my family if they wanted to try coconut water, so her brother, Victor, slipped off his flip flops and just climbed up their tree! He held on with his arms at the top and kicked off coconuts...quite amazing to watch.

Sandy's little sister, Cristy, and Sandy, holding her niece (one of the cute twins from earlier blog pictures!)...Mom was really looking forward to meeting the twins all week -- they are quite the cuties.

Victor whacking the tops of the coconuts to make a hole to drink the water...Dad and Lindsay were the only ones to finish -- I think they have over 16 ounces of water inside! Then, when the water was finished, Sandy gave us each a spoon to scrape out the inside coconut goop -- it's not my favorite, but it's very clean and readily available throughout the village.

Life in the village is much more laid back and relaxed than city life -- people here rarely take one hour bus ride down the mountain to go to the nearest large city, La Ceiba, to buy groceries, because they are practically self-sustaining up here. There are small stores, called bodegas, where you can buy things like soda, chips, flour, corn for the chickens, candy, and other basics, but otherwise the people grow their own food and raise their own livestock. They are very resourceful with what they cultivate from the land here, but their diets generally do not include many vegetables. A typical Honduran diet mainly consists of: chicken, either fried, baked or in soup, root vegetables like yucca, fried bananas or plantains, white rice, and red beans. They also have lots of oranges, pineapple, and banana trees up here -- and mango season is just around the corner! I can't wait!!

M, D and L visit: Clinic Gallery

2009-01-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

The nurse is in the building! (Not me...Lindsay!)

Children who received a toothbrush and toothbrush from the donations from my home church, St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Decatur.

Working in the pharmacy filling prescriptions -- Lindsay is getting the hang of it!

Mom and I in the courtyard of the clinic -- during clinic hours she was usually at our house sewing like mad! Using a not-so-reliable machine, Mom made curtains for our whole house, and also couch covers for our living room furniture. It sure looks great!

Julio, the foreman of the building of the dorm next to the clinic, is a hypertensive patient who has been doing great with his blood pressure and sugar and has recently quit smoking, but he jokes about how he still has trouble lowering his weight -- that's hard to believe when you see how hard he works! Since he stops over in the clinic during his workday, as I was pricking his finger to test his blood sugar his hands were completely covered in layers of thick glue! It was hilarious trying to peel some of it off to find a spot big enough for the tiny glucometer needle.

Me, Dr. Williams, and Lindsay -- hanging out in the pharmacy...at the last second, Martin said "Wait!" and instinctively Lindsay and I both squatted down a couple inches and Martin stood on his tippy toes -- it was pretty funny.

Lindsay and I with our new friend, Isis, who seemed shy at first but eventually turned into quite the model!

A Honduran Zoo

2009-01-22T13:49:00.000-08:00

So I was more or less successful in hiding all the small creepy crawlies from my family during their visit, but upon reviewing their photos I realized they were quite fascinated by the larger creatures of Honduras. Here's a glimpse (not a complete list, of course) of what they saw...

Someone's pig next to my backyard fence...one of Sandy's turkeys...

The kinkachu at Jason and Sarah's (run the orphanage up the road)...

can't get enough of "Paco"...a macaw, the Honduran national bird...

Our cats, Monk and Jasmine..."Dot", our new rag-doll puppy...

Horses outside the fence of the clinic...cows walking through the village...

Guess it's a bit different than they're used to around here! Beginning to feel like home for me...even felt that very strongly as I got off the bus the other day. Must admit, I really do love it here.

Emergency Night

2009-01-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

Last week we had our record number of patients in one day since I've been here (a little over 2 months now) -- 33 patients total, 3 of which were emergencies!

One day after clinic when my parents and Lindsay were here visiting, Wendy came over to the house and said we had an emergency machete case -- this boy, Michael, accidentally cut himself and was bleeding pretty bad. Michael is 12 years old and lives here in Rio Viejo.

Later in the day, after dinner, Wendy came back over and told us there was another emergency machete case! This time it was a guy, Joel, who had been in a fight and his opponent "barely got his arm" -- good thing it didn't get a full swing in! (Joel was born without a left hand.) Lindsay was able to assist Martin in tying on the tourniquet and handing gauze, etc.

Meanwhile I was in the exam room next door where another patient came by -- a 23 year old French Canadian who lives in the area wiped out on his motorcycle at the end of the bridge down the road from the clinic and some people

from the village brought him to our clinic. He was concerned about a possible broken wrist and was a little banged up and disorientated, but he returned last week and seems to be doing fine.

If these patients didn't come to our clinic they would've had to catch a ride down the mountain to La Ceiba which is over an hour away -- that's if they caught the bus (which runs about 5 times a day) or if a pickup was on its way down. What a day!

Up the Mountain...

2009-01-22T10:59:00.000-08:00

So we took the Xterra up the mountain with a new record of people and stuff it it:

-9 full-grown not-small people

-8 suitcases/duffles full of their stuff and lots of donations

-Groceries

I think Mom's question of "Can't we just take a taxi to your house?" was quickly answered in about 15 minutes during the bumpy trek which winds through the mountains. Oh yeah, and it was raining!

Copan: Part 2

2008-12-30T06:57:00.000-08:00

Our guide, Antonio, whose mother was Mayan and father Honduran. He studied and did research in the States so he spoke very good English. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining and even told lots of jokes.
The ball court where the Mayan people played their sport -- either the winners or the losers were killed to honor the gods, depending on how the game was played. If it was political, the losers were killed and the smoke of their burning blood was said to reach the gods in heaven. The Mayans never ate human bodies, that was the Aztecs, but they did perform self mutilation to make themselves bleed. Anyway, the point of this game is to score by getting a 10 lb rubber ball to hit the ear of 1 of the 3 the macaw heads (see middle and end of ramp). The players were only allowed to use their hips, elbows and thighs to move the ball -- no hands, feet or heads. The ball was made from a type of rubber tree that grows near by and it is very bouncy.

Honduran national bird -- the macaw.
Me with Antonio Rios -- a.k.a. "Tony Rivers" as he told us. His stick had a macaw feather on the end to point things out on the ruins.
An old tree at the top of the ruins. The Mayan empire in Copan is said to have dispersed due to exploitation its natural resources, which is known through the analysis of skeleton bones that show calcium depletion among other signs of malnutrition. Due to erosion, deforestation, and pollution, Copan was inhabited only for the reign of 16 kings, from 426 to 820BC. The land was purchased in the late 1800s for $50 by a man from New York and since has been restored mainly by American universities and Japanese donors, along with many other archeologists.

Copan: Part 1

2008-12-29T20:55:00.000-08:00

Family vacation to the city of Copan the day after Christmas. We rented a 15 passenger van to make the 8ish hour journey and stayed at hostel for 2 nights. It was fun to walk around the busy downtown area, do a little shopping from local artisans and eat lots of great food.

Sam next to the statue of Morazon -- he tried to unite all the Central American countries. Next is a very conspicuously taken picture of the commonly seen machine gun-clad guard. He doesn't look too intimidating to me.

One of the most fun parts of our first day in Copan -- taking the mini taxis up a steep hill to a museum. Wendy and Martin actually had to get out of theirs and help push it up the street!

Almost there...Whew -- we made it!

New House

2008-12-29T20:12:00.000-08:00

Last week Heather and I moved to a house that wasn't being occupied about 250 yards from the clinic. The Williams' new house is in between ours and the clinic, but right now just the walls are completed. In order to make the house more safe/accommodating for group overflow, we did some minor renovating and will also paint the interior and exterior (my family might help with that when they come next week!).

My favorite part about the house is the champa (thatch roof thing) which is out our back door. Since we are close to the river, it's very peaceful out there and I love listening to the water.

One of our housewarming/Christmas presents -- I've always wanted a bienvenido rug!

Our first winged friend in the new house -- this sucker was about the size of my hand, fingers and all. It just hung out on our wall for 2 days and then it disappeared...wonder where its hiding. The holes in its wings looked transparent, which I hadn't seen before.

"Swimming" in the river by our house. Heather mistook my waving my arms in desperation and franticly clinging to a rock for a great photo op -- this is right after my crocs were stripped from my body and I dodged giant jagged boulders down the rushing river current. Let's just say I'm not too experienced with white river crossing yet. I think I prefer to go down in a giant inflatable raft wearing a lifejacket and a helmet.

Christmas toys

2008-12-29T19:16:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I went along with the Williams family to deliver Christmas gifts to children in a village called Las Minas. It's about a 4 hour trek from Rio Viejo and required the use of a more durable and powerful vehicle, so a friend of the Williams drove us out in his Land Cruiser. Martin goes to this village once a month (when the river is crossable) on his motorcycle to give attention at the clinic there and also to bring meds. In Honduras, each medical student has a required year of service and Martin's was in Las Minas.

The remains of the bridge to Las Minas -- it was washed out when Hurricane Mitch came through in 1998. There was a grant to have it rebuilt but apparently the person in charge sold the supplies and took off, so we had to cross the river by driving through it. The locals also use horses to get across.

Dr. Williams talking to the kids before they received their gifts. We also gave out clothes and a couple things to mothers with babies. The majority of the toys were collected at a Christian bilingual school in La Ceiba, Honduras, the nearest large city to Rio Viejo.

A group of girls playing with their new toys -- most got a doll or pretend dishes. The boys got cars or sports toys. They seemed very excited to play with their new toys/Christmas presents!

Cutest Patient Award: a Tie

2008-12-29T18:55:00.000-08:00

The cutest patients -- twin nieces of my friend, Sandy, who works at the Williams' house. Their names are Alesandra and Alejandra. They don't look very sick, do they?? :)

Patient photos

2008-12-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite patients, Valentino. He is 89 and has had 9 children, two which have died. He was very talkative and told me all about his life in rural Honduras and work as a farmer. Valentino is one of many patients who come to our clinic with diabetes and high blood pressure. The typical Honduran diet (rice, beans, tortillas, plantains, yucca, coffee, fruit, etc.) in conjunction with influences from North American culture has affected the health of many people in Honduras. Just today, half of our adult patients had high blood pressure and diabetes.
On the contrary, children commonly suffer from malnutrition in Honduras and are underweight. This young girl is 28 months old and weighs 20.5 lbs -- a gain of only 2 lbs since her last visit 6 months ago. She, like many of the children we see, has an upper respiratory infection and required a series of breathing treatments to clear her lungs and ease her breathing. We also provided powered formula, antibiotics, etc. which are included in the 50 Limpira (about $2.65) fee to see the doctor at our clinic. If patients can't pay, they either bring bags of dried beans or a chicken, etc. When they don't have a way to pay or live too far to bring anything, we still see them for free.

Weekend adventures

2008-12-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Heather and I took a walk to visit our American friends down the road (Jonathan and Devin). We met up with them just in time for a hike, guided by a swarm of anxious and energetic kids who are orphans from the next village over. They bring food to the kids a couple times a week and are quite popular for being giant human jungle gyms and for sharing their Oreo cookies.

Here's a picture of Franklin, Julia and their friend with his tiny kitten in front of the "orphanage" where they live. These children along with many others live with an older woman who takes care of them. Despite their solemn expressions, these kids are filled with so much joy and love. They love having their picture taken and are laughing and goofy and hyper right up until you take it, then for 5 seconds they turn serious. After its taken, they run to look at the picture and are back to being fun and smily. It's hilarious.

My tour guide, Franklin, 4 years old, guiding me down the path from the cave. The kids loved to hold your hand down the path and little Franklin here needed a boost a few times in his oversized flip-flops. He was so eager to point things out and show me a toucan up in the trees and where the stream turns into a mini waterfall, etc. He was so excited when we finally made it to the cave and tried to get me to climb through a small opening on the side of the rocks where there's another space (the kids had to be going somewhere, right?)...I declined.

This is the swimming hole where we took the kids after our hike -- I couldn't resist the dare this time and jumped off this rock with all my clothes on (in the background). Reminded me of jumping off the bridge at the Land, but probably a bit more dangerous! The water was cool and clear and felt great after the hike. It came from a rushing stream up the mountain from this picture and meets one of the 3 large rivers which join in the area near Rio Viejo (hence the name of the town where I live). Glad to be able to share in the fun of what goes on down the road from us and also to be able to connect with kids in our area outside of the clinic. Hope to do it again soon!

BUGS!

2008-12-04T13:58:00.001-08:00

So after finding a giant chaga bug in our bathroom, I decided enough was finally enough. I am adjusting well to my new mosquito net and feeling quite secure in fact. As an attempt to not scare off all possible visitors, I will not explain what a chaga bug does or transmits, but feel free to wikipedia it on your own, if you dare.

Clinic pics

2008-12-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

Here's some pictures of the clinic -- the top is of my exam room where I see patients for their initial consult before they wait to see Dr. Williams. After Martin sees the patients I fill their prescription in the pharmacy (picture on the left) and explain how to take their medication.

Didn't take long to realize how different things are in the medical world in Honduras than in the States, commonly due to limited accessibility. For example, we wash and reuse equipment that is routinely tossed in the States, including all the pieces used to nebulize (breathing treatments), scalpels, surgical instruments, speculums, etc. My job is to scrub, wash, and soak everything in bleach and later we will boil the metal instruments to sterilize them for use in minor surgeries (picture on the right).

Also, dirty needles are kept in an empty wine bottle. We use bed sheets for the exam table and wear headlamps while doing procedures. Even prescribing medications is reliant upon what is available in our pharmacy (what has recently been donated and isn't too far out-of-date).

Such is life in a Jungle Hospital!

Check your boots!

2008-12-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

This is why we tip our boots over before putting them on! Well, not really because usually it would be a tarantula or roach or something. But this guy certainly surprised Martin the other day before we started clinic! The nearest river is down the road a bit, so Mr. Crab must have been walking all night just to miraculously climb up into a rubber boot. Our "guard dog", Kaiser, was equally perplexed as the poor crab, who kept snapping at his nose when he tried to sniff him out. Needless to say, it was quite an eventful start to our day!

¡Yipee, hace sol!

2008-12-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

The rains have stopped! (only for 3 days, but enough to see the sun!) Heather and I went for a hike down to the river (the village's namesake) and enjoyed the beautiful weather and scenery.

Will continue to post photos as long as our internet signal allows -- not many pictures of patients yet as I don't want patients to feel uncomfortable or to seem intrusive.

Leeches!

2008-11-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

My new favorite fun fruit -- leeches! After passing numerous roadside stands of these mysterious poky fruits, I finally asked one merchant what they were. He replied "lichas." As if to say, "What else could it be?!" After asking what you do with them he popped off the top half of one and told me to try it. It was slimy inside and odd looking but also very sweet tasting and fun to eat. My new favorite snack (until mango season)...I bought a whole bag of 20 for 20 Limpiras (about a dollar).

Our Casita

2008-11-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of the house Heather and I share. Notice the coconut tree in the front yard! We haven't figured out how to knock down the coconuts yet to drink the water inside, but we're hoping some good ones fall off soon. The house has 2 bedrooms, a livingroom/dining room, bathroom and a kitchen. There is also a pila (cement wash basin) outside that we can use for washing our clothes and boots. Right now we use it to hold our trash because we haven't figured out where we're supposed to burn it yet!

Our house is located in the village, which consists of a couple long streets of houses close together and a few small stores which sell basics and also snacks, Coke and ice cream. One of our patients named Santos owns one of the stores and gave us ice cream bars today. He came in last week to have 3 lipomas removed from his arm along with a thorn which had been stuck in his arm for a couple years. Since the clinic is on the main road, we walk through the village every day to get to work. It's about a 5 minute walk but it's been fun to see familiar faces along the way.

High School Graduation

2008-11-24T16:27:00.000-08:00

While the internet is strong enough to upload pictures, I'll continue to blog! This picture was taken the day after we arrived in Rio Viejo. I wasn't aware, but American-run schools typically adopt a different school schedule which has the "summer" break during the rainy season here. This also allows for a break during the holidays for the many American teachers who volunteer at the Christian high school (El Instituto del Rey) directly across the street from our clinic. The ceremony was similar to the few I've been to in the States and included the national anthem played by the school marching band. I think there were about 15 graduates this year.

After the ceremony we tagged along to two graduation parties -- one of which was next to our house for the daughter of the pastor of the church here. Heather and I tried to attend one of the 2 night services last weekend but one was cancelled due to a big wedding in La Ceiba and Sunday the service started early because it was raining so by the time we arrive it was the middle of the sermon and the only 2 open seats were in the middle of the very front row. Yesterday I asked a patient who is training under the pastor at the church about the services and he answered as if to say "Yeah, so what's the confusion about? That's how things work here." We'll give it another go this weekend and hopefully there won't be any more scheduling changes!

First week

2008-11-24T16:14:00.001-08:00

Before I forget, don't forget to check out the Williams' blog -- blog.hhim.us -- for some pictures of Heather and me during our first week at the clinic.

I've been here over a week now and it's beginning to feel like home. I'm getting into a routine here at the clinic and it's seeming easier to talk to patients. I'm learning new words every day (today I learned Band-Aid, why I didn't know this before, I'm not sure). The highlight today was assisting in a procedure for a tumor in the back of someone's head. My job was to shave a patch of hair off and then dab the wound with gauze.

Yesterday Heather and I ventured into La Ceiba for the first time by ourselves and it was fun to walk around and explore a little. It took us a little over an hour to take the bumpy bus ride down the mountain and into town. We enjoyed an authentic Honduran breakfast of coffee and baleadas, which are tortillas with beans, cheese and egg. We also bought leeches from a roadside vendor who showed us how to pop off the tops to chew on the fruit inside. Later in the day we called Heidi, a Norwegian friend we met last week at the women's Bible study, and she met up with us for coffee and pastries at a bakery owned by an American lady who also goes to the Bible study. I was quite happy to indulge in my first chocolate purchase in Honduras, a chocolate-filled croissant -- yum!

A Picture at last!

2008-11-20T15:58:00.000-08:00

Heather and I standing in the "porch" of the house we will be moving into in a couple months. First we need to clean it out (knock down termite nests/feed the chickens, get different furniture, paint, get a stove, etc.). The backyard of this house has many papaya trees and has a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. For now we're living in a small house in the village about a 5 minute walk from the clinic which has been great. Pics to come!

Rio Viejo Landscape

2008-11-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

These pictures were taken in the front lawn of the clinic (turning around from where the pic on my postcard was taken). The building is the new house being built for the Dr. Williams and his wife and 2 kids. Right now they are living in the space that one day will be the rest of the hospital. I was taking the pictures from the second floor of the dorms which separate the house from the clinic.

Rio Viejo Safe and Sound!

2008-11-17T16:17:00.000-08:00

Arrived in Rio Viejo on Friday night and had the weekend to adjust and get settled in a little. More details will come later, pictures are to come when the internet will let them through!

Take My Life

2008-10-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Little over a week until I leave Chicago. In the midst of all the last minute preparations and to-do lists, this song has been playing in my head -- may it be my prayer now and throughout my time in Honduras.

TAKE MY LIFE -- Chris Tomlin

Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to thee.

Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love.

Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice and let me sing always, only for my king.

Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from thee.

Take my silver and my gold not a might would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use every power as you choose.

::Chorus::

Here am I, all of me.

Take my life, it's all for thee.

Take my will and make it Thine it shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord I pour at your feet its treasure store

Take myself and I will be ever, only all for thee,

Take myself and I will be ever, only all for thee.

Here am I, all of me.

Take my life, it's all for thee.

Ticket Purchased!

2008-10-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

Excited to inform you that I purchased my ticket from Orlando to San Pedro Sula, Honduras for Novemeber 14th. Also happy to have found the same flight as Heather, my roommate and fellow intern at the clinic. There weren't any open seats next to her, but I did find the seat directly behind her one row back! It'll be fun to meet and catch up a little on the way down before arriving in Rio Viejo.

Michigan weekend

2008-10-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I drove up and spent a couple of days in MI this past weekend to visit our grandparents. I really enjoyed sharing with them the video from HHIM -- it really does a great job sharing the mission and vision of the organization and also paints a good picture of what life is like where I will be living and working in Rio Viejo. I'm hoping to get the video linked up to my blog sometime soon.

We were also catch a bit of Nick's first half marathon! He did an awesome job and has inspired me to train for the next race I run, which isn't all that helpful since my first 10K is this coming Sunday! Nick ran for team World Vision and even finished under 2 hours -- not bad at all! Sarah and I were content being cheerleaders and thought we deserved our second cookie of the weekend for our efforts -- conveniently located near the race course at our favorite restaurant in GR, the Gaia.

Colorado Visit

2008-10-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed a weekend in Boulder, Colorado visiting my good friend, Kevin, from Wheaton who is studying applied geophysics in a graduate program at CU.

We were both a part of Honduras Project for two years during our undergrad, so it was fun to reminisce about those days and also talk a bit about my upcoming departure for Honduras.

I really enjoyed the fun downtown area, the beautiful mountains and the active community of Boulder. Other highlights of the trip include eating a delicious dinner of pumpkin soup baked right inside of a real pumpkin at the home of some Wheaton alums who live a block away from Kevin (which also involved a couple serious rounds of Rummikub!), hiking in the mountains nearby/geological field trips, visiting with my cousins Reuben and Rachel, and eating authentic Venezuelan food. It was a relaxing trip and also a nice break from the flat scenery of Illinois!

St. Paul's Decatur Visit

2008-10-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my roommate, Rachel, and I were able to travel down to Decatur for a couple days to visit my home church, St. Paul's Lutheran. This trip was planned after the last one a couple weeks ago was cut short due to some car trouble. I had the privilege to do personal sharing at both the Saturday night and Sunday morning outreach services. I also presented a powerpoint and shared a video put out by HHIM at two community group meetings. Both groups were very perceptive to my personal reflections on my past experiences with missions and visiting Honduras which was evidenced through the many questions that were asked. It was great to see my excitement spread and to see others desire to learn more and become involved. I am very thankful for both the encouragement and also the generous financial support of St. Paul's members.

The trip down wasn't complete without a driving tour of the highlights of Decatur -- we especially get a kick out of the number of signs and places that have "soy" in the name. And to end the tour we made a stop at Dell's Popcorn to get some fresh caramel apples! Have to love Decatur in the fall!

Departure date!

2008-09-22T09:48:00.001-07:00

Per official approval by the HHIM board meeting over the weekend, I can finally say the date of my departure will be...

NOVEMBER 14TH!!

I'm very excited to know the date! Things have been in the planning stages since last December, so it's great to see everything falling into place. And since I will be flying out of Orlando, I will be able to spend a couple days with my brother, Jonathan, and his wife, Kendra, which will be fun! The countdown begins -- only 52 days left!

A little geography...

2008-09-20T11:47:00.001-07:00

Here are some maps of Honduras, which is located in Central America.

Rio Viejo is in the northern part of the country, near the city of La Ceiba.

chicago biker

2008-09-19T11:34:00.002-07:00

Thought my blog needed a photo -- this is from a Critical Mass ride.

It gives a good picture of what my life is like these days living in Chicago...

birth of blog.

2008-09-19T11:34:00.001-07:00

Goals for the day:
-lengthy apartment breakfast with a Wheaton friend from out of town. (CHECK!)
-make lunch for roommate who came home on her break. (CHECK!)
-create blog. (CHECK!)
-create and mail out letters/defer loans/get insurance/run/misc. (empty box...)

So today I decided to make a blog. I'm hoping this will be a main way for friends and family to get a glimpse of my life and experiences while living in Rio Viejo, Honduras. Beginning in November I will be living there and working at a rural medical clinic through Healing Hands International Ministries (www.hhim.us) for around 7 months. The plan for now is to live there this year before beginning Podiatry school in North Chicago, IL in August of '09. Despite it being a very carefree and relaxing season of life living and working in Chicago again this summer, I am anxious to learn and be involved with HHIM in Honduras. For those of you who maybe haven't been following this series of recent events, below is an excerpt from my Statement of Purpose that I send to Martin and Wendy earlier this summer -- it's kind of long, but I think sums everything up and is a good basis for the birth of my blog...

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"As I reflect upon the last four years at Wheaton College, I often think of my experience and the people I met in Honduras through my two year involvement with Honduras Project. The project is a student-led initiative that involves raising support for materials and travel expenses while working in conjunction with a Honduran engineer and his wife to install a gravity-fed water system in a rural Honduran village. The project focuses on a holistic approach in active love through service and seeks to build meaningful relationships by living and working alongside Honduran people.

Previously I never saw myself as one to have the boldness or capability for a call to overseas work, but in the past few years I have been able to see that all Christians are called to actively manifest Christ’s love in all parts of the world. Growing up in the United States, I personally believe that it is most necessary to cultivate perspectives from other countries and cultures. My study of the Spanish language and involvement with Honduras Project have instilled a desire to continue to learn from the Honduran perspective, and to do so in the specific field of my future career. Given these concerns, while I have been accepted to Podiatry school for next fall, I have deferred for one year in order to immerse myself in an environment similar to my vision for the future and to learn and grow in that way. In so doing, I am eager to submit to Honduran leadership and guidance while learning about health and medical care in a new cultural setting.

My interest in medicine, and passion for health and wellness, have been fueled through my completion of a Kinesiology major, intense study of the human body. My participation as a college athlete in varsity soccer and basketball has been fundamental in my desire to become a healthcare professional. Further, my experience shadowing doctors has confirmed the value and importance of approaching healthcare in a holistic manner...[Through past/present internships and shadowing experience,] I am able to see the impact physicians have on the lives of their patients through genuine care and compassion...Therefore, I desire to impact the way people care for their bodies, both physically and spiritually, by both educating patients and consciously exemplifying a healthy lifestyle.

I am specifically interested in an internship at Helping Hands due to its vision to serve not only the people’s physical needs but also minister to their great hunger for God. Throughout this year, I have been praying and considering the many places in the world where there is a need for volunteers, but my experiences in Honduras and my love for Honduran people remain paramount in my mind. I was first introduced to Healing Hands from Larry Smoak, who I met and got to know through Honduras Project. Larry participated in the trip, leading a debriefing time of discussion and reflection that has spurred a desire to broaden my worldview and serve in Honduras. It is important to me to work with a Christian organization that works positively and consciously in its community. Therefore, I am excited to be involved with an organization that seeks to complement medical service with abiding spiritual concern...and I feel that HHIM will be an environment that is both vocationally relevant and spiritually challenging."

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