Please pray!

Please pray for a little boy (9) in my Sunday School class who is in surgery now as I write this. He had a gun shot wound a couple of years ago and has had missing bone in his right humerus for several years now. He is having surgery by a visiting Orthopedic Surgeon to do a bone graft so that he will hopefully have more function of his right arm. Please pray that the surgery will be a success and that he will have use of this arm later in life. He was very nervous and not wanting the surgery this morning. In the picture he looks happy, but this doesn't show all the tears he shed today.

Ready for surgery

Thursday night

Thursday night seemed just like any other with Missionary Fellowship. Sydney and I got home after fellowship and had some chai tea and were reading books. All of a sudden, she said Christine, there's another tarantula...oh and he was huge. When I went outside to get the machete, he hid in a corner. Set up a footstool on top of the kitchen table so I could reach to the ceiling. I didn't see where, so just went poking around with the machete until I found him. I lightly hit him about 5 times before he jumped down at me and hit the floor. I let out a huge scream!!! Then didn't want to get off the table! Finally went and put tennis shoes on...incase he came crawling toward me. Then, took me about 2 minutes to get the nerve up to smash him...he was way bigger than the blade of my machete!!! Ew gross.

kinda blurry, but you can see he was huge.

My heart was racing so fast after this!!! It took me forever to fall asleep.

This is only part of what is living in my roof. We also have rats and Iguanas.

The iguana that sleeps in my room some nights.

Settling back in

I arrived in Honduras in the middle of the night on Tuesday. After 2 1/2 hours of sleep and 5 1/2 hours on 2 different buses, I finally arrived back at home on Wednesday afternoon. I was greeted by many hugs from all the kids from the children's center. I arrived with swollen feet, probably from all the sitting and heat, so didn't do much on Wednesday.
Thursday I started unpacking and had several visitors. Lucy (from Guatemala who helps at church) and Diana (spanish tutor and very good friend) came to visit Thursday morning. Spent the rest of the day unpacking and was called to the hospital that evening.
Friday...back to the hospital for clinic...and getting to hear the craziness of my time away.
Friday night...took 18 kids (with Liz and Alyssa who is helping now) from the children's center to a Coronation at the school. Iain has been really sick, so they were looking for a driver and I was just the person. :)

Reina and Andrea ready for the program to start

Norma and I taking pictures

Liz with her girls

Leaving the park for the 1/4 mile procession to the school.

The crowning of the  new school queen.

Another special wedding.

For my last weekend in the states, I was privileged to attend the wedding of a very special friend, Jennifer. Her and I met in Honduras at Hospital Loma de Luz in the summer of 2005...8 years ago! Crazy. I had just graduated from the Medical College of Georgia with my degree and she was leaving Honduras to go to medical school at the very same school. She knew that asking me to come to her wedding was almost impossible. However, I just extended my trip in the states by about another week and was able to go. :)

Jennifer and John's first dance.

Jennifer and I.

Family time

The past couple of weeks I have been in the states and had wonderful family time. My sister graduated from her Dental Assistant program on Saturday, August 27th. She was so excited. I was so glad to be able to attend her graduation.

Monday the 29th, my grandmother and uncle came in from New York and spend the whole week with us. They came in for my sister's wedding, but it was great to spend some extra time with them since they stayed at the house with us. The whole week before was lots of preparation for the wedding and tying up last minute details.
On Friday we spent almost 12 hours at the church decorating and getting things ready for the big day on Saturday. It was alot of fun making it pretty like she wanted. It was also alot of work!!! We were exhausted at the end of the day. We made the bouquets and boutonnieres and corsages with flowers we bought. We had to put the centerpieces together, set up the tables and set up an archway that my sister wanted in the church.
On Saturday...the big wedding day...we got up early for Mom and Shannon to get their hair done and be ready for pictures in the park at 10:30. Then we headed to the church. Got there early to do some last minute setting up, and then ready for the ceremony. It was beautiful.

Oh and I have to add one more detail...

Yes, I caught the bouquet...doesn't matter, does it, that it was only me and my 16 year old cousin. ;) She ended up on the floor. It was fun!

God's graciousness

Wow, what an exciting weekend it has been. Friday night we had a wedding at the church for a young couple that just came to know the Lord about 3 months ago. They were not content living together anymore without being formally married...one of the great works of the Holy Spirit. It is a privilege as a church to get behind couples and help them be obedient to the Lord by committing to one another in marriage. God is so gracious.

Marvin and Maria waiting to hear husband and wife.

Praying for their marriage.

me with the bride and groom.

Yesterday we had the second annual Hospital Loma de Luz road race. It was to benefit the indigent fund here at the hospital. This is a matching fund that helps our really poor patients with their hospital bills. It was lots of fun. We had 28 people sign up to run. It's fun to see the Hondurans run since it is not very cultural.

A few racing toward the finish line. :)

last few weeks

Update on Osiris: She was found to have leukemia. :( She has ALL or Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She started her Chemotherapy about a week ago. She has received blood and platelets along with the Chemo to keep her levels up. Her dad was actually able to go visit her for a night. She has started a 3 year course of treatment according to the oncologist who is taking care of her. Please continue to pray for her and her mother Erlinda. Pray for healing and the finances they need to get her the treatment she needs.

Got to paint my new Sunday School classroom with a team that was here. They helped us paint it a nice cheery yellow.

New classroom and the guys working to build a cement base for a water tank.

Last week the kids were out of school for Student's week. I took the kids from the children's center to church for a bible school put on by a visiting team. They learned bible stories, did a craft, sang songs and played games. They had fun...it was too bad I was only able to take them 1 of the 2 days they did it.

kids listening to the Bible story

Kids playing a game outside

Famous Duck, Duck, Goose-boy did they have a blast.