Lessons from Good Earth

 A steaming cup of tea is just the thing to relax the body and spirit and a well spoken word is just the thing to inspire the mind. 

A Short Story

There was a bug in the shower and I was too afraid to kill it.

So Greta saved me.

The End.

The Storm, the Puppy, and the Bird

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away there lived two girls from The Land of 10,000 Lakes. Their names were Greta and Leah and they were roommates. They shared a big room with a big window and a tiny balcony that opened to the street. Another big window on the other side faced the neighbor’s house.

During the sunny afternoons, Greta and Leah enjoyed the cross breeze that swept their worries away while they rested on their beds after a long day with their language tutors. Holy Week was approaching and the girls were excited to see processions from their tiny balcony. They also had a great view of the volcanoes that surrounded their little village.

Yes, the two windows were quite lovely.

One night, the girls awoke with a start! Thunder rumbled loudly. The beds shook. Leah was excited.  She loved storms. Strangely, it was not raining. The roar of thunder rushed through the street side window. The squeal of brakes followed. Trucks. Leah was disappointed that there was no storm to listen to. She closed her eyes again.

No sooner had Leah fallen back asleep than a pitiful crying stirred her from her rest. Greta rolled over and groaned. The neighbors had gotten a puppy. The poor little guy whimpered and whined all night long. Both Leah and Greta lost their compassion as well as their sleep. The hours dragged by.

Just as the first rays of sun shone over the volcano, something hit the glass with a sharp ping. Ping…ping PING. Like a shadow puppet show, the black silhouette of a little bird hopped and fluttered on the edge of the roof just outside the window. The sparrow chirped, fluffed its feathers, and attacked the window yet again. It was Leah’s turn to roll over and groan. An hour later, at 7 a.m., the girls were almost happy to get up. Being awake seemed easier than trying to sleep.

They pulled back the shades to their two windows and smiled at the day. 

Window to the Street

The Angry Bird Window

A Week in the Life

What a week! This is my normal schedule for ministry site weeks.

Monday: Clinic

Tuesday: Asilo

Wednesday: Clinic

Thursday: Hospital

Friday: Clinic

     On top of that, our Spanish Internship prof, Alicia Juarez, has been here in Guate the last week and a half. “Spanish Internship” is just a fancy name for homework in Spanish that has to do with our work at ministry sites. We had lecture on Thursday for 2 and half hours for that class. Fuuuun. 

     Laura and I have been working out together twice a week pushing weights around in the gym. We are pretty buff you know. 

     At the Asilo we mostly just talk to the nice old people there :) There are a few ladies there that are long time friends of Maureen and look forward to our visits every Tuesday. We also change dressings. It’s not as fun as chatting and it’s sad because it really hurts when we are cleaning the sores. But it has to be done.

Doña Julia and I

Dressings

     Once again, the hospital on Thursday was an adventure! We saw three surgeries this week. 

Maureen and I

     The first was a precious one-year-old boy. He had a lump under the skin in the shoulder blade area. This was easily found and removed in a fast, clean process – a good warm up for the next surgery!

Cute little baby feet

After the surgery

     Surgery number two: circumcision. One eight-year-old boy is now able to pee with ease! This surgery was significantly more gruesome than the first. It was worse than I thought it was going to be – a great warm up for the third surgery! Pictures don't do this one justice. So I left them out :)

     Amputation. Above the knee. Friends, if you ever get diabetes, take good care of yourself. Please. I don’t want to be observing your gangrene leg being taken off while you are awake. This surgery was actually less bloody than number two but far more disturbing just knowing what was happening to this sweet eighty-year-old abuelita.  

Her eyes are closed, but she's awake!

After. She kind of looks like she's smiling...but I doubt it.

I spared you the photos of the actual cutting...If you all want to see them I will have to get LOTS and LOTS of comments asking for them or your email address so I can send them too you. It's not pretty.

In these bodies we will live. In these bodies we will die. Where you invest your love, you invest your life. Awake, my soul! Awake, my soul! You were made to meet your Maker. Awake, my soul! Awake, my soul! Awake, my soul! For you were made to meet your Maker. You were made to meet your Maker.- Mumford & Sons

Black Sand

I was totally surprised when I saw this beach at Puerto de San Jose on the Pacific. That the sand may not be white or tan didn't even cross my mind. I couldn't get over it! The black sand is beautiful.

The ocean is dark as it washes over the volcanic earth.

The black burns the bottom of bare feet and quickly makes towels dry and toasty. I stayed near the water or wore sandals to prevent fried feet!

The waves were strong and made even more so by the aftermath of the Japan tsunami.

Besides the ocean, sleeping in a hammock in the breeze made my day!

A few more pictures of the beach :)

Horses on the beach :)

The pool

Amigas taking a wave!

Sunset

Happy in a Hammock

Pediatric Surgery!

Maureen and I

More adventures in the National Hospital in Chimaltenago! Observing surgery was not what Maureen (my site leader) and I expected to be doing when we went to the hospital today… But observe we did :) This was up close and personal surgery. The first surgery was a good warm up for the second. I don’t have pictures of the first one but you may wish I did instead of the ones I do have of the second. Proceed with caution!

A girl of eight lay on the gurney with her eyes open. She’s Sophia’s age. She looks tall, lying out like that. Is Sophie that big? Is she asleep yet? She blinked and looked around but didn’t seem frightened. The surgeon and nurses moved her to the operating table. She was still calm and compliant. The nurse began deliver a medication through her iv. The girl turned her head and looked at her arm curiously. Very slowly, she lifted both arms and touched her forearm where near the iv. “The medicine burns,” Maureen explained. Poor girl. Her eyes stopped scanning the room. An oxygen tube was placed in her mouth. A sheet with a square hole cut in it was draped over her with the hole centered on her inguinal area. The girl became a square of skin with a problem hidden beneath. Layer by layer, the metal tools searched for, found, and repaired the hernia. Layer by layer, the needle and thread sutured the flesh back together. A bandage covered the incision. The sheet was removed. The little girl’s face surprised me. I had forgotten who that patch of skin belonged to.

Pelvis and ribs jutted out. I couldn’t tell if the wide eyes and smile of the young man on the table was a result of fear or if he was actually happy about having a major surgery on his 17^th birthday…The surgeon imitated a mariachi band for him and we wished him happy birthday. He laughed and thanked us. He blessed us and asked for God’s protection. We reassured him that everything was going to be all right. His eyes closed. The oxygen tube went down. The catheter went in. A thick needle pierced his neck. I winced. “For more serious surgeries they need a central line directly to his heart in case of emergency,” Maureen explained. Ouch!!  The young man was thin – a malnourished 88 lbs. His intestines absorbed little due to infection and being riddled with holes that leaked all his nutrients out. A large scar from a past failed surgery ran down his midline. A bandage was removed from his belly button area. Fluid leapt up! The nurse leapt out of the way. The sheet with the hole focused my attention to gray fragile net of skin. This may be more involved than I thought it was going to be… An incision was made and the surgery was underway. The smell of burning flesh and fecal matter hung in the air. Suddenly, everything went black and quiet! No one dared to move. The nurse pumped the oxygen by hand. About ten seconds later, the lights flickered back on. The next time that happened half an hour later, the doctor was ready with a huge flashlight and continued the surgery without electricity. An hour and a half later, all the intestines had been taken out foot by foot through the 10 inch incision, examined, and all the holes were stitched up. Phase two was to cut out the length of intestine with the worst infection and sew the two healthy ends together. Maureen and I had to go so we did not see this surgery through to completion. 

Observing!

Healing

“Que es su versículo favorito?” asked  Dr. Sara.

“Salmos 23,” answered the woman. 

“Y que dice Salmos 23?” probed the doctor.

The woman hesitated, momentarily confused as to why she was being asked to recite Bible verses during her doctor’s appointment.

“El Señor…” began the doctor.

In a soft and halting speech, the woman continued…

El Señor es mi pastor, nada me falta;

en verdes pastos me hace descansar.

Junto a tranquilas aguas me conduce;

me infunde nuevas fuerzas.

Me guía por sendas de justicia

por amor a su nombre.

Aun si voy por valles tenebrosos,

no temo peligro alguno

porque tú estás a mi lado;

tu vara de pastor me reconforta.

Dispones ante mí un banquete

en presencia de mis enemigos.

Has ungido con perfume mi cabeza;

has llenado mi copa a rebosar.

La bondad y amor me seguirán

todos los días de mi vida;

y en la casa del Señor

habitaré para siempre.

A gentle smile curved my lips as the patient and the doctor worked
through the passage together.

Healing was taking place.

The Lord is my shepherd,

I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Who let the dogs out?!

Who? Who? Who? WHO?

Brown. Fuzzy. Big. Muscular. Curly. Smooth. White. Slobbery. Grey. Panting. Black. Tiny. Sniffing. Bring on the DOGS!

I was walking to breakfast, enjoying the beautiful morning. The sun was shining and the flowers were brilliant as ever. I was momentarily distracted by a curly little dog happily riding along in a lady’s purse. How cute! She brought her little buddy out for a Sunday walk. A block later, a couple with a couple of frightening dogs crossed the street – a German Shepherd and a Doberman. I arrived at my breakfast destination, a little café called Y…Tu piña también (And…Your pineapple as well:). I enjoyed a refreshing fruit salad with yogurt and granola and a glass of orange juice. Mmm! My next destination was church. Besides having to move off the sidewalk once to give two dogs space to meet each other and two owners space to drag the dogs along, I made it without hassle. I’m not sure what exactly happened while I was in church, but when I came out, I was swimming in dogs. Five Chihuahuas were bumping along in a stroller. A blue-eyed husky was panting in the shade. I have never seen so many dogs in one place in my entire life! Every other person had a dog or three. A few people even had puppies :) My favorite! Apparently a major dog necessities supplier was having a promotion… It was “go out with your dog friend day.” And go out they did. 

Hey there Friend!

Agua for the dogs :)

I'm so cool I can walk TWO fluffy dogs!

Making Friends!

This puppy's name is Poofy! Seriously.

Dogs like shopping too!

Sleepy Puppies!

Fuzzy Puppy!

Seen enough dogs in one day? Me too!

Girly

 

 

All bought for a dollar or two :)

Hindrance

It's 8:30pm. I'm in my room listening to the sounds of the street below. My keyboard is clicking away to the beat of the Spanish flowing from my mind. It's a slow rhythm that threatens to lull me to sleep but the hard wooden chair isn't allowing dreaming tonight. A few more sentences...a few pages later...my bed awaits. A strange feeling washes over me. My eyes itch. My breath grows short...
 

ACHOOOOOO!


I need a Kleenx. Bad. An instant waterfall from my nose forces me to jump from my chair. I grasp wildly at a roll of toilet paper on the table. Relief. 

Unfortunately, this is a nightly occurrence. I sit at the that table and work diligently. I try my best to conquer my assignments. It's just such a hindrance to be allergic to homework!