Wowie Kazowie!

This is just a quick note to say that Mary and I are enjoying our 5 vacation days to the utmost! The internet is very expensive at our hotel though...so I think we will blog all about it when we return to the states. Keep on praying for us and our travels!

Mas Fo-Toes!

Here are some pictures from our last week of clinic! A team from our school (Harding) came down to work for the week and we were oh so glad to see them. We had a wonderful week with four days of clinic and are now all enjoying the high life in Antigua. When Mary and I first entered our hotel we almost shed tears at the sheer beauty of it all. There is a ton of shopping, a Burger King and Mary and some others even enjoyed the pool! Personally, I opted to take full advantage of the amazing showers they have here - woo hoo! After 5 weeks in the hills, myself and everyone around me were thankful for the showers here.

I will write more later, but for now I am out of internet time. Hasta la vista.

This is the moment when Mary and Ben saw each other for the first time in 4 weeks. I shed a tear.

Here, Mary and I are modeling the latest trends in Guatemalan fashion...or just looking like hippies.

This little guy has been very well trained to breathe through his mouth when a stethascope is being used...

This is our Harding team. Lance, Mr. Tobin, Sarah Kate, Mr. Hill, Jenny, Caleb, Laura, Dr. Murphy, Nicole, Ben and Mary. Aren´t we cute?

Here is the actual difference in size between Lance and Dr. Josefina...hahaha

Barkey

Today, I tried to adopt a Guatemalan dog. I named him Barkey and snuck him a tortilla. Mary told me that if I put him in my backpack the customs men wouldn´t let me back in the states....so the adoption has been post-poned. Also his owner was trying to get me to pay $100 for him. I laughed.

Speaking of laughing, today our group laughed a LOT. It was Josefina, Sherri, Gaspar, Juan, Mary and myself and we went and did a mobile clinic. (Lisa and Kemmel went to see the Pepperdine group off) On the way there, Sherri somehow managed NOT to see a lot of the speed bumps we went over. We all ended up screaming ¨tumolos!!¨every time one came into view and then laughing our heads off. We also laughed a lot at lunch when I attempted to cover my uneaten beans with a bunch of spoons and a tortilla. Needless to say, the beans remained in view.

Just wanted you all to know that we´re still alive and well and having fun!

This is Barkey eating his tortilla.

This is when Barkey and I fell in love....don´t tell Riley.

These little gals were having a ball playing with my hair and my earrings.

Here is Mary with baby Miguel. He was one of the cleft lip repair patients from our surgery week. Look how well he is healing!!

The hike back to the truck after a day of clinic. We´re getting more muscles every day....soon we´ll be able to beat up anyone you know.

Primavera

Yesterday we had clinic in a new community, Primavera. There is a congregation in this community but they meet in peoples homes. So our clinic was at a person´s home. This makes for an interesting set-up. A tarp was hung between two of the small adobe rooms and that was the consult area. The exam area was in one of the rooms. A group from Pepperdine is here so we had about 15 students and 4 doctors. It wasn´t ideal but it definitly worked. I can see how medical missions and mobile clinics would be appealing to a flexible creative person. It was a new experience for us in Guatemala.

The waiting room

View from Primavera

The pharmacy....Walgreens better watch out. We are taking over.

Small hike to the clinic in Primavera.

Greatest Friends

Hermanas (sisters)

Baby Feet

This is Mary.
Last night at dinner my family told me I have ¨baby feet.¨ This came as a surprise to me. I thought I had rough outdoorsy chaco feet. Then they asked me why my feet are so white and soft. Then informed me that it must be because I don´t eat enough tortillas. I found this interesting so I ate two tortillas so maybe I will get a tan. Probably only a sunburn.

Things are going well. I have been playing go fish with my little brothers at night before dinner and Juana taught me to make a tortilla, when I say make I mean form a tortilla from the dough she already made. Mine didn´t look so hot. Then she told me I have to make a tortilla for Ben when he comes. Poor Ben. He is not going to get a very good tortilla.

Also at dinner my brothers tell me adivinanzas (riddles). I am afraid I am not brilliant and always get them wrong.
Example: What wears a crown but is not a king??? You think on it and let me know what you would answer. Hint- it is an animal.

Well now you have a little taste of night life for me. It is interesting and fun.

Nicole and Dr. Josephina- She has become our very good friend while we have been here. We will miss her a lot.

Man on the Catholic church steps in Chichi- Proof that you are only as young as you feel. Never too old for a good lollipop.

My Guatemalan mama (Juana) and me- Notice the difference in tortilla skin and bread skin. She is great and I love talking with her! She takes amazing care of me.

In need of some shut-eye

Horray for some unexpected internet time!

Currently it is Tuesday night, and I am sitting in an internet cafe next to Señor Rick Harper, Mary and Sherry the new nurse with Health Talents. We´re having a regular little party here!

The rest of the group is at Mactzul III showing the Jesus film in Quiche. They´re scheduled to come back sometime around 10.

I´ve decided tonight to blog about my current state of ever-increasing tiredness. I think that it is a combination of

1- Constantly having to think in Spanish

2- Having my personal space invaded daily

3- Being in the middle of my fourth week away from home

4- The mouse that lives in my ceiling

Yeah...all of these things seem to be contributing to a general feeling of tiredness. I´m sorry to admit it, but this tiredness is sometimes affecting my attitude as well. Please continue to pray for me, especially to make it strong through these last 2 weeks of seeing patients.

Now about that mouse...

About a week and a half ago the mouse and I had our first encounter. I was all snug as a bug in a rug in my little cot when I heard the scooting sounds of tiny feet running across the plastic that lines my ceiling. Of course I shot out of bed and tried scaring the mouse by jabbing my toothbrush holder at it...but that was only a temporary fix. That mouse has been back every night to scoot across my ceiling. I guess it wouldn´t be so bad except that the plastic that separates this mouse from falling onto my bed is really really thin and already has some holes in it. Needless to say, I haven´t slept very well for the last week and half. I wake up on average 8 or 9 times a night. Last night I took 2 Benadryls and only woke up twice...but I am really looking forward to a night in the hotel - mouse free.

This is my bedroom. You can kind of see the plastic on the ceiling and how it is perfectly placed if by chance a mouse fell through onto my bed.

I am also really looking forward to our Harding team coming on Saturday! It will be so wonderful to see faces I love and speak freely in English! I know Mary is really excited to see Ben especially. Poor Ben who is only going to have room in his suitcase for 2 tshirts and a pair of underpants because both my boyfriend and my mom are sending me packages through him :) I mean...I´M not complaining...and Ben is pretty wonderful for doing that.

Well, I was going to try and add some more pictures...but the internet is not cooperating with me tonight. Next time...

Later Taters

Real Quick Update

Its Thursday and our internet time is limited...so I am going to make this really quick...but I promise to blog more Saturday and even put up pictures...even if it takes me 2 hours and 50 Quetzals.
1- Did anyone else know that they turn off the water for the entire city in the afternoon...so its near impossible to find a bathroom that works?
2- For all you Clinic Ezell people:
Last week we had a patient who was operated on on Sunday. Sunday night she had some complications and had to be rushed back in for emergency surgery. Everything seemed ok and she went home. Well, that lady came into our clinic today for her post-op visit and is doing great! She and her husband are not currently members of the church, but I think they told Lisa that they are now interested in visiting! Praise God for the wonderful things that can come from mission trips.
Loveyouall!

Fo-Toes

Here are a few more pictures for you all to enjoy! Sorry they are so few and far between...the internet is a bit slower down here.

This is proof that I actually do work.


Here, Mary and Dr. Lisa are praying with a patient after a consult.




This was the biggest stack of chairs that any of us had ever seen. Hey Mary, could you climb that?










I don´t know how well you can see it...but this is my attempt at getting a shot of the giant cow in the tiny truck.










Here is Mary´s awesomely 80´s hair!