After many tries of getting a post on the blog I made it - better late than never!!!
It was amazing trip even with the 10 hours in the Huston airport going down we did manage to get past that and arrived in Puerto Cabezas in pretty good shape. Went through the totes that were left in Puerto from past trips and got what was needed to do the clinic on Saturday. This years totes arrived on Sunday (most did some came on Tuesday ). Moved into the Hospital on Sunday evening and had to hire a guard ( $15 a day ) to watch the supplies because the hospital was in pretty bad shape. Surgeries went well this year considering everything - electricity seemed better this year compared to others - it went off once at the hospital and it was off for a bit at the compound one morning.
RJ (brother from another mother ) and I spent our days making sure that everyone got to the hospital and that they had everything that they needed. The truck left at 6:20 for the first wave and at 7:20 for the 2nd wave, Every day started with worship in recovery room at hospital( one fan and 30 people = shower gone by 7:30 ). It got the days started in right direction!! This time is also the time that the schedule is set as near as it can be for the day.
We also got drinks and lunches and did repairs in between. Hauled bags of concrete for the new school that was being built by the Verbo Church and pastor Earl's men. 30 bags on a pickup that we used to haul everyone back and forth to hospital and etc. ( capacity was probably about 10 ea ) . A little air in tires and we made the trip!
Every day brought tears and smiles. Several 16 hr + days cut into our daily highs and lows but it was something that was necessary to keep perspective on what we were seeing and trying to accomplish and kept everyone up on what was going on in different areas of the mission.
Our meals were prepared by the compound where we stayed and kept us from loosing any weight for those thought that the heat would help with that. The beans and rice that we had every day (almost) never got tiring, it was so good, something about fresh. Seafood and plantains were common also.
It has been asked why we go back to the same place but it becomes more plain on every trip. It is the friendships that we rekindle every year and start new ones. It is differences that we make even though it may be only one " starfish" at a time.
When we return we are definitely exhausted but we say every time that we get far more out of this than we give. Its spiritually rewarding and rejuvenating and puts the right perspective on our lives.
Thank you all for listening and as the stories come back to us we would be more that happy to share. Make sure Sue is with me so she can pull me away in case the story gets too long!!
Thank everyone for all your prayers and continued support.
God Bless -- Karl
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