Medical clinics

I have helped with clinic several times now. Overall, things are going very well. My Spanish is improving, but continues to be a struggle. As before, many of the patients speak only Quiche and translators are required.

I have some weird stories, like the ant I retrieved out of a young girl's ear. I have some amazing stories, like the woman with a blood sugar of over 600 last week who not only survived, but looks better this week. I have many frustrating stories, so many people who need surgery or other specialty care but cannot receive it.

I also have stories of faith. There is the prayer we share every day before clinic starts and there is the prayer we pray with our patients in hopeless situations. For the last two weeks in San Andres, we have had patients ask for a medicine for a 'sad heart'. After telling them that there is no medicine for this, Hermano Mateo, the father to two of our translators and an active part of the local church, has come and explained to them that only through Jesus can we find true peace. After talking with him, both asked to pray a prayer of salvation with him.

This picture is of a young man, named Andres, that I was able to have a conversation with after his 'consulta'

Photos

These are the pictures that we wanted to load the last two days. The first are some of the puppies at the Home that Bethany took.






These are pictures that Caleb took of the kids on the computers. We had four of the five up and running with the fun games that the Schultz's and family provided. We are going to need to find a different mouse for the fifth computer. We are hoping to find one so we can get that one up and running too.





Today is clinic in Canilla so we have to go get breakfast going. We will try to post again soon! Blessings!

A Day at the Children's Home

We started this post last night but had to cut it short due to a thunderstorm. We lost power until late this morning. Here is what we would have posted yesterday!

After wishing my niece, Julia, "happy birthday" over Skype this morning, we left for San Andres and the Children's Home. We had to take "Little Ben" back and we wanted to serve there today as well. We took over the five computers that Don hauled through Mexico. The kids were very excited to see the computers and the new games.

Also at the home, there are six new puppies. Bethany had fun with them and took several pictures. We will try to upload them as well as pictures of the kids playing on the computers tomorrow - it is not working tonight.

This morning (Friday) we had some excitement on the road in front of the clinic. A Latin man was riding his motorcycle and hit an Indian woman who was walking down the road. We heard loud screaming and yelling. Apparently the woman was unconscious and her mother was a little hysterical. Duane, Don, Leslie and Salvador (one of the men who works at the Fickers) headed out there. They eventually brought the woman into the clinic and tried to examine her. She regained consciousness but was very confused and restless. What complicates this situation is that the Latin man who hit the woman kept saying "Let's go inside and settle this". Most often, the people here do not want to involve the police so they like to "settle" things among themselves. If they involve the police, they may have to "settle" with them as well. The other issue is that there is racism against the Indians here. Don and Leslie felt that the woman needed to go to the hospital in Quiche to get a catscan. Because the woman was doing better when they left, Leslie felt that the people at the hospital may take a look at her and say that she is fine without really examining her. It is all a little complicated. We pray that the woman is fine and that something isn't missed by the hospital. We also pray that whatever the "settlement" turns out to be that it is fair for both sides. Leslie called the incident this morning "typical Guatemalan".

We will try to upload some pictures tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

Slumber Party!

We had a guest staying with us on Monday night. His name is Venuncio Enrique. We are calling him "Little Ben". Oralia from the Children's Home brought him to clinic on Sunday because of a problem in the private parts area. They thought he might have a hernia and that it might be emergent. Leslie and Duane flew him to the city on Monday to see a surgeon but it turns out that it is something called "hydrocele" which is just like a water blister on his testical (Don's description). It will be absorbed in time so no need for surgery or anything. Anyway, Leslie told Oralia that we could keep him a few days to give her a break. Leslie had him Sunday night and we kept him Monday night and all day Tuesday. He is almost 2 months old and only about 8 or so pounds. His mom is sick and has another child so she didn't think she could take care of him. The kids just loved having him here. They took turns feeding him and holding him. He slept really well. Leslie would like to take him back in the next day or so but we wanted to share some pictures with you.

Our "Home"

The kids have been taking some pictures of where we have been staying. We thought it might help you picture where we are. It is beautiful here as you shall see.

This is a view of the Fickers house from their front gate.


This is the view of their house from the clinic building where we are staying.


This is the clinic building.


This is the main family room/dining room inside the clinic.


This is the kids' bedroom.


This is the kitchen.


This is the actual clinic room.


This is Don's and my bedroom.


Besides these rooms, we have two bathrooms and then there are 3 other guest rooms (2 with their own separate bathrooms) and a bodega (which is a very large closet with all of Leslie's medicines etc,)

Hope this helps you picture it! Blessings.

Hurricane pictures

Ray Shaw, my host for hurricane Ike, sent me some pictures today. After the hurricane came through, he was not exptected to receive power for several weeks. Thankfully, his power was restored prior to that prediction. Here are a few pictures of the devistation.


This picture was taken just down the street from Ray's house.


Here is a picture of the creek flooding up to the house.


Here is a tree that stood in their front yard (and proof that I was there).

Our First Day

The day is not quite over but we have enough information to write an entertaining post! The morning started early so of course I was headed to our kitchen to make coffee. I turned on the light and noticed that we had some company - a frog. Being the brave person that I am - I went and got Don up. He chased it out of the kitchen and all around the family room area with a broom. Eventually he got it to out the door. And then I made the coffee.

The Fickers have 3 dogs. I was sitting outside reading my Bible and drinking my coffee when one of the dogs (Puma) spotted me. He immediately began barking. The other dogs had to come to see what was going on and soon they were all barking and coming towards me. I wasn't sure what the reaction was going to be when they reached me but I didn't panic. I just sat very still in my chair. Once they arrived I began petting them and talking to them. Then decided to take my coffee and Bible back inside!

The plan had been for me to go to the market with Leslie last night when we arrived. Unfortunately we were later than expected. The new plan for me was to go this morning. However, I cannot drive a stick so someone would have to take me. (Duane has decided we can use the airport runway so Don can teach me - I asked if we could please not attempt that on the first day!) Anyway, Rachel (13-year-old) was going to go with me to translate but she can't drive. None of her brothers were very excited about taking us so Rachel asked if we could go on the 4-wheeler. So I went to market to buy our fruit and vegetables and bread for lunch on the back of a 4-wheeler in a skirt! I am just glad that no one had their camera out! It is all part of the adventure.

Hannah had her and Bethany's camera out this morning and took a few pictures. We would like to share a couple with you.

This is Duane with Grace and Abi after they went to get some eggs for breakfast.


Here is one of the Ficker's dogs. You can also see the back of a cat head - Bethany was wanting him in the picture as well.


This is Abi holding the kitty (I am surprised that Bethany put him down long enough for Abi to get a turn!)


Abi and Grace are two Guatemala little girls that the Fickers are in the process of adopting. Grace will be four in Feb. and Abi is almost 3. The Fickers have had them since they were babies.

Don worked in clinic this morning. It was a little smaller so it was a good one to get him back into the swing of things. His main comment was that he needs to learn more Spanish! He will post tomorrow after the San Andres clinic.

Finally!

We are in Canilla. We have had two very long days of travelling. The kids did great on our plane rides. They travelled so well. We had some great surprises on the way. When we checked in with our 9 bags, they weighed them all. We had several at exactly 50 pounds, a few at 49.5, one at 49 and then our smallest bag was 29.5. None of our bags were over the weight limit. Caleb and I were very excied about that. Then I asked how much I needed to pay for the bags. The airline employee told me that because we had an international destination, all our bags were free. The third surprise at check-in was that United was able to give us all our boarding passes even though we changed to Continental in Chicago. We did not have to go check-in again. At our layovers we just had to find our gate. I was so happy about that!

When the kids and I got off the plane, we went through immigration and retrieved our 9 bags, then headed to the exit. As we got closer, we could see Don waving both his arms. The kids (and I) were so excited to see their dad!

Don had reserved a room in a hotel for us. We spent the night there and then, in the morning, we went to the grocery store (called Hiper-paiz) and did our shopping. We were ready to start driving up the mountain by 10 am. We had a very uneventful drive up the mountain. After having driven the route a few times before, the ride really felt like no big deal. Don didn't even have a map this time! We stopped in Santa Cruz del Quiche for lunch. Also, the ministry, Agape in Action, is located there so we stopped in to see John Villanueva. The stuff that was in Don's 4runner is still in Quiche so we will have to plan a trip in the next couple days to go retrieve it. We finally arrived at the Fickers in Canilla at about 6:30 pm. Leslie had dinner waiting for us. It felt really good to be at our final destination.

Don will start right away in clinic tomorrow morning while I try to get us organized and unpacked. We will try to get some pictures posted so you can see where we will be staying. Thanks for praying. It is wonderful to be together as a family again and it is exciting to be back in Guatemala. We will try to keep you posted!

At the Hotel Aeropuerto - Guatemala City

Lori and the kids will soon arrive, their flight gets in at nine pm. I have checked into the hotel and have a few minutes before I need to go and pick them up.

Today could not have gone any better. Honestly, I did get a little worried as the line of trucks started moving and our titles had not yet arrived. Just after nine, they did arrive and off we went. Martin, a mechanic in Quiche and friend of the Fickers, had arranged for everything. After crossing the Mexican/Guatemalan border, Martin found me in line, climbed into my car, and off we went. Back and forth from line to line, off to the city to pay the taxes at an import company, and back for the inspection. I was on the road by one thirty.

More details on the road trip later, after a week and a half apart, I get to go and pick up my family! - Don

Hidalgo, Mexico

Don finally got through to me tonight at about 8:30 pm. He is staying at a nice hotel at Hidalgo which is right on the Mexico/Guatemala border. The paperwork has been started for the morning. However, when they arrived their titles were not there. They had them flown down 2-day mail but yesterday was a Mexican holiday so they didn't move at all yesterday. Don and John were told that they would arrive later tonight but they wouldn't be able to get them until 9 am tomorrow. They plan on getting into line while the paperwork is being finished. We are praying that they will be get through by noon so Don has plenty of time to get to Guatemala City.

The kids and I leave at 10:12 tomorrow morning. We will leave the house at around 8 am so I won't be posting until I have time during one of our layovers. Don will be contacting us on my cell phone so I will try to post tomorrow when there is news. Otherwise, we will post when we are all together again in Guatemala City. Thanks for going on this journey with us. Thanks for all of your support. May the Lord richly bless you.

In Tapachula

Don and John placed a call to the missionaries in Guatemala saying that they made it to Tapachula which is the last town before the border. They made really good time. Don is not able to call me because our telephone number was disconnected a day early. He does not know the number for the people who will be staying here. I am praying that he will try to call my sister or my parents. They both have the new number so he can get ahold of me. I have info for him about the crossing that he needs to have. Please pray that he will think to call someone to find out the new number. I know that the Lord is in control and He will work this all out. I will let you know if I hear anymore.

Arriaga, Mexico

Don called at about 11:30 am from Aggria, Mexico (see map) driving parallel with the Pacific Ocean. Don only had a minute or so on his calling card so I didn't get much for details but they are heading to Tapachula where they will stay tonight. They have lots of paperwork to do before they can cross into Guatemala so if they could get some of it started today that would help them get through tomorrow. They will head to Hidalgo (the border town) tomorrow morning early to get started. We are hoping that they can get through by noon so Don can unload his stuff into another vehicle and head to the city to get us. I have some info that Don needs to have in order to cross the border so I am praying that he will be able to get another phone card and call me again. Thanks for reading!

Acayucan, Mexico

Don called from Acayucan, Mexico (see map) tonight at 10 pm. They had a good day of driving (no police stops) but they didn't quite get as far as they wanted. They are still 8 and a half hours from the border. They are going to get up early and try to make it across tomorrow. However they may just get to the border tomorrow night and cross early on Thursday. Guatemala City is about 5 hours from the border. Don needs to be in the City by 9 pm on Thursday to pick the kids and I up from the airport. I have great peace that the timing of all this will just fit together. The Lord is good and faithful and trustworthy. I am glad that He is in control and not us! I will let you know when I know more. Blessings!

At Tampico

Don and John reached Tampico at about 10 pm last night. They made really good time on the road. Don has really felt the Lord's peace and favor. At the border, he was practicing his Spanish with some young officers who were laughing at him. John kept telling Don that he would get flagged because he was a gringo with alot of stuff. I asked Don what "flagged" meant. He compared it to security at the airport where some get pulled out to be searched more thoroughly. The border police did look in his boxes but they didn't even take everything out of the truck. John, who is hispanic and has Guatemala plates on his truck, overhead some of the border policeman say something about John being a drug dealer so they searched every inch of his personal bag. Don thought that was very funny.

They did get stopped by a police officer once they were on the road. Don said he was young and seemed more anxious than they were. He peeked in a couple boxes and they continued their journey.

Originally they were hoping to get to Vera Cruz tonight but now they are wanting to maybe get a little farther. If they could cross the border on Wed. afternoon, Don would have time to go to Canilla before he has to drive down to Guatemala City to get us on Thursday evening. I have linked a map with the remainder of their drive to the border. I am not sure where they are trying to land tonight but you can see the path that they will be taking. I won't be able to update you until Don has a chance to stop and call. I will let you know when I hear something. Please keep praying!

The kids and I are almost packed. We have 6 bags ready to go. I am hoping for 8 total. We have been cleaning and getting things ready for the Swenson. The Lord continues to provide for us in so many ways! The kids talked to Don on the phone a couple times yesterday before we couldn't get through to him anymore. They are anxious to see their dad and get to Guatemala. So am I! Thanks for reading and praying!

Thru the Border!

Don called around 2:45 pm to say that he had made it through the border and was in Mexico! He had been told that his cell phone may work until Tampico but I can't seem to get through so we may be not able to communicate until he reaches the hotel tonight. The plan was to get to Tampico tonight which will be about 8 or 9 hours. Please keep praying that his journey is safe and uneventful!

At the Border

Don and John arrived at Harlingen, TX last night at about 8:30 pm. This is a US border town where the transmigrante office is located. They will have to go to the transmigrante office this morning and fill out paperwork. People have told Don to expect this to take 2-3 hours. It depends on the number of people also waiting to fill out paperwork. Then they will have to get their trucks in line to cross over on the bridge into Mexico. This could also take 2 hours or so. They are hoping to get into Mexico by noon. They want to travel all the way to Tampico tonight and it is about 8-9 hours. (see map link on last posting)

I called Don quick this morning and found out that it was raining there and at 7 am there was no waiting on the bridge. They were headed to the transmigrante office when I called him. Don is almost "giddy". I know that isn't very masculine but that is the best word to describe him. I think he is excited to be moving forward. It sounds like John and he are having a good time. I will keep you posted! Thanks for reading.

To Mexico!

After a whole week in Houston, Don is ready to continue his tour of Southern Texas this afternoon. He called last night to say that they had talked to John Villanueva. His house received no damage from Ike. He didn't even lose power. He will be ready to head to Mexico at around 3 pm today. They plan to get to the border tonight so that first thing tomorrow, they can get their paperwork done and cross the border. They hope to make it to Tampico, Mexico by Monday night. That is the tentative plan. Through all of this week in Houston, we are reminded that often our plans are not the same as the Lord's. In Isaiah 55:9 it says "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Don and John have a plan but they know the Lord has a plan and it is preferable to theirs. We will trust in the Lord and follow the path that He sets before them.

I have put a link here for a map of the journey to the border and to the first stop in Mexico which is Tampico. I will try to put the next leg in as he travels. Thanks for praying and reading!

Eye of the Hurricane

I woke up at around 6 am this morning and checked the progress of Ike on the internet. At that moment, the eye of the hurricane was passing over the part of Houston where Don is staying. It is a small town called, Porter, TX just north of Houston. The first emotion was fear and anxiety. Then I realized that it is in the center where the winds are the calmest. The peace of the Lord covered my anxiety and fear and I had this tremendous feeling that the Lord was protecting Don and sheltering him from the storm. I have been relying on the feeling that we have had from the beginning that the Lord has called us to go to Guatemala for 7 months. He has work for us to do there. He has continued to provide for us financially to live there without income. He has confirmed over and over that this is His plan for us. He also is in control of all of this, the hurricane, the delay in getting to Mexico and the uncertainty of how this is all going to look. I am not sure if this was a "test" for us but it has deepened my reliance on Him and my trust in Him. In Isaiah 43 it says "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you." I am so thankful that He promises to be with all of us through the difficulties that we face.

I did call Don this morning at 7:30 am and actually woke him up. They lost power at 2 am so he decided he might as well go to sleep. He was looking out the windows while he was talking to me and said that he did see some limbs down and what looked like "shredded" leaves etc. everywhere but he could not see any major damage from where he was. We talked for a little while and then I let him go because he wanted to go back to sleep. Apparently this hurricane was not disrupting him too much! He will try to get ahold of John sometime today and see how his house fared. If the hurricane did not flood their house or cause extensive damage, John said that he would be ready to leave for the border sometime on Sunday. Please keep praying for their safety and protection. When I know something, I will pass it along to you! Thanks for reading.

Hunk'er down

As I wait for Ike, I just wanted to write a quick note. I am on the North side of town, in Porter, TX. A little wind, a little rain, a lot of waiting. Ike is set to hit Houston this evening. I am staying with a Hurricane veteran, and am confident all will go well for us here. There has been no call for evacuation this far from the coast, but the official word is to "Hunk'er down!"

The Ike-man cometh!

Ok, here is the new plan. It looks like Ike is going to hit just to the South of Houston. I am going to wait out the storm (North of the track) and hope to resume the journey Sunday.

Please be praying not only for the families I have been staying with, but also all of those who will be faced with the destruction of this storm. Thank you for reading and thank you for praying. - Don

un plan

Here is the plan (or as they say in Spanish - 'plan'):

I am going to get up early on Thursday and drive down to John Villanueva's house. From there, we will drive down to the border. After filling out our paperwork, we hope to cross and get a few miles into Mexico under our belts by Thursday night.

This should put us well ahead of Hurricane Ike. Ike is coming and is predicted to hit Texas early Saturday morning. Having lived in Nebraska all of my life, I don't have much context for a hurricane. Back home, when a tornado is coming, I always head outside to see if I can see it. I have been assured that this is not a good idea with a hurricane.



In the meantime, I have been staying with the Shaw family. Their home houses the offices of Agape in Action, New Beginning Resources, and Highland Missions. Their hospitality has been wonderful. I cannot thank them enough for all that they have done since I have arrived.

Please continue to pray for safe travels and that those travels will start soon. Please pray for the Shaw, Leatherman, and Villanueva families as Ike heads toward their homes in Houston. Finally, please pray for Lori and the kids. Lori has a lot left to do. - Don

Still Waiting!

Don and Matt called the Transmigrante Office today to check on Don's title. They told them that it will be in US Customs for 72 hours and they will not be able to cross the border until Thursday. Because of Matt's timeline constraints, it sounds like he will not be driving through Mexico with Don. He has actually changed his flights so that he will be flying back to North Carolina tomorrow. However, the people who are "housing" Don until he leaves have another guy, John Villanueva, who may be able to go with Don. He has travelled through Mexico before and is very fluent in Spanish. He is on vacation right now and will fly back to Houston on Wednesday. He works with the same ministry, Agape in Action. The other 4runner is actually in his name as part of the ministry so this may actually help them have less issues at the border. This will also allow them to not have to rush through Mexico because they won't be able to cross the Guatemalan border on the weekend. They won't have to be there until Monday. The kids and I have just been praying for the Lord's plan and for Don to have peace about all of this change. In the meantime, Don is trying to help them with their ministry in any way that he can. When I talked to him, he was running some errands for them in Houston. We will just wait on the Lord and His timing, trusting that His way is the best way.

The kids and I have started packing. We have two bags ready to go. A lady who read about us in the Blair newspaper came to our door today. She gave us a little note and some money for our trip. The generosity of others continues to humble and overwhelm us. The Lord is providing for us in so many ways! I will post more when I know more! Thanks for reading.

Houston

Don is in Houston. He picked up Matt at the airport and has arrived at the home where he will spend the night. The mission organization that Matt and his wife, Heidi, served under is out of Houston so they are staying with people connected with that organization, Agape in Action. It is such a blessing that they can stay there until they know what is happening with Don's title at the border. They plan to make some phone calls tomorrow to see if they can find anything out. They also plan to have dinner with Hannah Ficker tomorrow night. Hannah is the daughter of the missionaries that we will be serving with. She is attending school in Houston, studying to become a PA. We feel that the Lord is using this time for Don to develop relationships as well as rest a little from his long drive over the last two days. If they can't cross the border until Thursday, Matt and Don are thinking about towing one vehicle behind the other so that they can trade off the driving. If that happens, I told Don that he needs to find a camera so we can post a picture of that! If you are interested in seeing how they fit the four-wheeler in the other 4runner, go to Matt and Heidi's blog. Don said the driver's seat is as far forward as it can go so the four-wheeler will fit. I am not sure how they got it in there exactly but the pictures are quite interesting! Thanks for praying!

A Little Excitement!

Don had a good day of travelling yesterday. He had lunch with his brother in Kansas City and then went to Siloam Springs, AR. He stopped to visit his uncle, cousins and other relatives who were all gathered for his aunt's funeral. He ate supper with them and then they directed him on the fastest way to Houston from there.

I was on the phone with him when he was nearing Checotah, OK. He stopped in a random parking lot while I searched on the internet for a hotel with a continental breakfast in the area. As he pulled back out onto the road he said "Oh no, I am being pulled over by the police. I have to go." Turns out that the random parking lot he stopped in was a closed down nursing home that has had several break-ins lately. The policeman saw him pull out of the parking lot and pulled him over to check it out. Don told him his story and since everything was all ok, he asked him about hotels. The policeman pointed him to "only hotel that I would stay in around here". No big deal - just a little excitement!

From Checotah, OK, it looks like Don has about 7 or so hours to drive today to get to the Houston airport by 3 pm to pick up Matt. He was planning on getting an early start just to allow for any more unexpected "excitements". Thanks for praying. I will keep you posted as he travels south! Blessings to you.

On His Way!

Don left this morning at about 10 am. A little later than we had originally thought but we had some tears this morning and he didn't want to rush out. The kids were very sad that he was leaving. We are going to count down the days until we are together again in Guatemala.

We have an issue with Don's title and entry into Mexico. In order to travel as a transmigrante through Mexico you have to send your title to the transmigrante office on the border 3 days in advance. Don did this but we found out on Thursday that they never received it. He went to the courthouse on Friday to get a duplicate title and overnighted it. They did receive it this morning but when he called them, they told him that it would still take 3 days to process and he wouldn't be able to enter Mexico until Thursday. This is a problem because Matt has to be on a plane in Guatemala City on Monday the 15th which means they have to be at the Guatemala border by Friday before the weekend. This means a lot of heavy driving with no breaks since they each have their own vehicle. Please pray that the title would be processed faster than 72 hours. We know that the Lord is in complete control of this situation and we trust His timing. He will make a way. Thank you for your prayers.

Packing!

We started by vacuuming the 4 runner out! Hannah did that job.



All clean and ready to pack!



All packed and ready to go! We still have room for two personal bags on top!



Don will leave tomorrow (Sat.) morning. His plan is to have lunch with his brother in Kansas City and then continue on to at least Tulsa. He needs to be in Houston by 3 pm on Sunday to pick up Matt at the airport. Then they plan to get to the border to spend the night on Sunday. We will keep you posted of his travels!

Front page news!

Our adventure made the front page of the Washington County newspaper this week. We had traded e-mails with someone from the paper but we weren't sure when or if there would really be a story. We had cancelled our subscription to the paper because we are leaving the country so we haven't received a paper for a while. We received a very sweet note in the mail today that said she was so touched by the front page news article about us. We immediately drove to Blair in search of a newspaper. What an odd feeling to see a rather large picture of your family on the front page of the newspaper! Anyway in case you are interested here is a link to the article called "A 2,000-mile leap of faith".

We are in the midst of packing Don's truck. Bethany is taking photos for us so we will try to post some of those soon!